Quinque Valens
by Lady Dulac
Summary: A group of unlikely comrades is brought together to fight the greatest battles of their lives - but for good or for evil? The depths of the Hogwarts library, a destroyed Sorting Hat, hidden daggers and devious pieces of bubblegum abound.
1. The Journey Ahead

**Disclaimer:**  All canon characters and places are attributed to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 1   The Journey Ahead

_"With the defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945, a new era dawned on the wizarding world.  The oppressive and horrifying times were over, and the magical society began to rejoice.  Foreign relations between nations were fortified, educational institutions were improved, and many advances in magic were made.  However, according to societal laws, the relative peace had to be disturbed sometime, and that began in the late 1960's._

_"European witches had traditionally been trained to stay at home and raise the little witches and wizards of the future.  In 1965, for example, only one out of twelve witches held a paying job outside of the home.  Those who did have a non-homemaking career only worked in educational positions, or in the field of magical nursing.  This was all changed in 1968 by a British witch named Susan A. Bethany._

_"Inspired by the mass Muggle women's liberation front in __North America__, __Bethany__ rallied hundreds of witches together to demand a change in their societal status.  At first, many wizards scoffed at the idea of a witches' liberation, but as more of those same wizards disappeared and the newt population of __Great Britain__ increased almost tenfold, the majority of the magical community began to listen..."_

Disa Volyn smiled to herself and shut the book she was reading.  _A History of Magic_, by Bathilda Bagshott, had proved to be one of the most interesting books that she had bought earlier that week.  She had never had a great love of times gone by, but Disa found that the past was sometimes much more exciting than the present.

Not at the moment, however.  Florean Fortescue had just brought out an enormous blackberry and coconut sundae and set it down before her.  Disa was immensely thankful; the bright summer sun had been beating down on Diagon Alley for the past few hours without mercy.  She picked up her spoon and was about to dig in when Florean asked, "How is your studying going?"

"Beautifully," Disa said.  She put down the spoon on the table and reached into the bag she had next to her chair.  She pulled out a long, thin box and extracted a wand from it.  Florean looked at it curiously, for he had never seen one quite like it.  It was made out of a hard, white material, and it looked as though it had been through a lot, judging by the numerous marks and gouges in it.  Despite its appearance, Disa loved her wand and showed Florean exactly what it could do. 

"Just watch," she said, and moved her wand over the spoon.  The top of the spoon began to shimmer, and abruptly, it split in two.  The two new sections again split in half, and condensed.  The shimmering stopped, and the spoon had disappeared from the table.  A fork was now in its place.

"Bravo!" Florean said, clapping his hands.  "I would give you a free sundae, but it appears you already have one!"  He got up from the table and waved good-bye to Disa, and walked back into his shop.__

Disa quickly transfigured her fork back into a spoon and began to eat her sundae.  Soon, her attention wandered from what she was eating to the people who surrounded her.  

Two elderly wizards were sitting a few tables away from Disa.  They were playing chess, but, as Disa observed, it was not ordinary chess.  When one player's pieces defeated his opponent's, a miniature, and rather gruesome, battle broke out on the chessboard, the winner harshly throwing the loser to the side.  Disa watched the two wizards play for a few minutes, but she was distracted by a young girl's squeals of glee.

"Mummy! Please, may we keep him?"

Disa turned and her jaw dropped.  The young girl, who could not  have been more than five or six years old, was toting a bunny rabbit of gargantuan size over to her mother by the floppy ear.  The rabbit was the size of a large dog and its fur was bright purple with large pink spots dispersed randomly.  It wriggled its nose as the girl hugged it tightly, but despite its friendly, nonetheless, large, appearance, the girl's mother looked horrified.  "Cynthia, where did you…?"

"His name is Harvey and I told him he could sleep in my room!" the girl shrieked excitedly as her mother looked around and muttered, "Where is your father?"

Smiling, Disa was about to eat more of her sundae when the two elderly wizards near her began to shout at each other.

"That was an illegal move, Barthemus!" the wizard in yellow robes bellowed.  "Take that back!"

"It was _not_ illegal, Archibald, and you know it!" the other wizard yelled.  "You're just mad that I said your new hat looked like a rotten banana."

"Well, you made that move just in spite because I pointed out that at least I don't _smell_ like a rotten banana," Archibald retorted.

Barthemus sputtered for a moment, then said, "We'll just see about that!" and took out his wand.

Eyebrows raised, Disa watched as Archibald and Barthemus disappeared in multicolored clouds of smoke, which appeared when they simultaneously hexed each other.  When the smoke cleared, Archibald had carrots growing out of his ears and Barthemus' previously short white hair had gone long and curly in a particularly ugly shade of puce.

"Why you little…" Archibald began, drawing back his wand for another round of hexing.  Florean Fortescue ran out of his shop at the two wizards yelling, "Gentlemen! Please!  Remember what happened last year?"

Disa's gaze was pulled away from the spectacle by the sound of laughter.  A group of teenage wizards and witches were doubling over with giggles due to the scene before them.  Disa heard one of them remark, "This happens every year!  Archibald and Barthemus are cousins and they meet at the ice cream parlor for a small family reunion each summer.  They always end up playing chess and both leave with something new growing out of their ears!"  More laughter met this comment.

Disa looked at this group almost longingly, wishing that she, too, was laughing with them in their midst.  It was not as though Disa missed her friends; in fact, such friends did not exist.  Disa knew she was unpopular, knew she was different.  Most students that she knew lived in nice houses with their parents, siblings and pets.  Disa lived in a run down hut on the outskirts of Barrow-In-Furness with her elderly grandmother.  The girls in her previous school always had freshly pressed skirts, bleached white knee socks and shiny new shoes.  Disa's uniform always seemed limp, her homespun woolen socks were the off-white color of her neighbor's sheep, and Disa had been wearing the same pair of school shoes for the past three years, their shine dulled by scuffmarks.  Disa did not really mind being unpopular, but this was mostly due to the fact that she had never been anything else.

Life with Nana, Disa's spry, lively grandmother, was everything Disa could ever hope for.  To be quite honest, Disa did not know the exact age of her grandmother, but that little missing fact did not get in the way of anything.  Nana showed Disa things that she would never have learned in school but, in Nana's opinion, were vitally important.  Disa learned about the properties of wormwood so she could care for herself and others in times of fever; she read poetry and legends of old in Latin; she spent hours in the forest observing how everything was interconnected.  Her grandmother was with her every step of the way, coaxing her to learn, to understand what was important.  Until one day in late April, Disa came home from school to find her grandmother shivering under the blankets of her bed, despite the roaring fire that was feet away from her.

Disa tried desperately to heal her Nana.  She ran from the herb garden to the woods to the ocean, grabbing any plant that could help her grandmother.  When all of Disa's knowledge of medicinal herbs ran out, she tried to get the doctor that lived five miles down the road.  Before she could grab her coat and start running, Disa was stopped by her Nana's surprising strong arm.

"No doctors for me, dearie," she said kindly, but firmly.  "There's no help from them that I can take."

At this, Disa began to weep.  Her grandmother was all that she had in this world.  Her own parents had died, or perhaps disappeared, some time after Disa was born.  Her Nana was everything: mother, father, teacher, best friend.  And all of it was slipping through Disa's fingers.

"Wipe those tears, dear, and look at me now," Nana said quietly, stroking Disa's wet face.  "I've lived my life and its time for you to live yours.  I've been given many years on this here earth, and I don't want you to waste any of yours grieving over me.  I've done my job.  I know you have a bigger one to do."  Disa stopped crying and wiped her eyes.  "That's better.  Fetch me my trunk in the back room.  There are a few things that you need to have."

The great, old, musty trunk was dragged out and opened before Nana.  Dusty black robes, mildewed books, a green cloak with gold piping, and a long thin box saw the light of day for the first time in over fifty years.

"Hand me that box, will you my Disa?" asked her grandmother.  Her hands shook as she took off the top and extracted a long piece of what appeared to be ivory.  Harsh lines and gouges had been etched into it.  It was beautiful and ugly, and it was neither at the same time.  "I believe this belongs to you," Nana said, handing it over to Disa.

The thing was cool as a block of ice.  Disa inspected it as she asked, "What is this?"

"A family heirloom," Nana said, a wry grin on her face.  "It's yours to use now.  I know you can use it."

"But for what?" Disa asked, confused.

"For what you are.  For what you are to discover," Nana said.  "All will be revealed in time as all things ultimately are.  My precious Disa," she whispered.

"Nana," Disa wept again.

"Shh," Nana said.  "Go to sleep."

And she did, with her head resting on her grandmother's lap.  When she woke, her Nana had a secretive smile on her face.  Disa knew that she was gone.

After the funeral, Disa stayed with a neighbor that her grandmother was a particular friend with.  Aradia Watson was wrinkled, wayward and a witch.  Or so the rumor was.  Disa was teased because she was living under the same roof as the crazy old woman who supposedly turned bad children into warty toads.  Aradia did not seem like a wicked witch out of stories.  She simply knew about healing herbs, as Disa's grandmother had, and she dressed a little funny at times.  She was a great help to Disa the weeks after her grandmother's death.  She was also a great help for years to come, in very different areas.

Her assistance in one such area was revealed on Disa's fifteenth birthday.  The early May sun beat down on their backs as they shelled peas for dinner.  

"I've never told you this, Disa, but I remember the day you were born.  It was a beautiful day like this, right in between spring and summer," Aradia began. 

"You do?" asked Disa excitedly.  "You remember my parents then?"

"Of course.  Your beautiful mother and you handsome father.  They were so happy that day," she smiled.  "You do resemble them a bit.  You have a coloring that reminds me so much of winter, despite the fact that you were born in May."

Aradia had a point.  With Disa's pale skin and black hair, she echoed the black tree trunks of a forest on a backdrop of pure white snow.  Her bright blue eyes were the cold winter heavens that held a promise of clear summer skies to come.

"So," Aradia said with a smile on her face, "do you feel any different now that you are fifteen?"

"Actually, I do," Disa said.  "Usually I don't feel any different on my birthday, but for some reason, I do this time.  I feel like I just woke up after a long nap," she giggled.

Aradia observed Disa.  She did have a different air about her.  She had grown from the insecure child she had once known into a young woman who was comfortable with whom she was.  Unfortunately, thought Aradia, she will have a whole other set of problems to deal with before long.

"I've been thinking about what to do with you, my Disa," Aradia announced.  "You know you can always stay here for as long as you want.  But I've wondered whether you would be interested in going away to school instead of being stuck here forever."

"Oh, I don't know," Disa began.  "Where would I go?  I couldn't afford a private school."

"I do know of a school in Scotland that is very well spoken of," said Aradia.  She pulled a heavy envelope from beneath the basket of peas.  "You've been accepted.  It would be no trouble to send you there."

"Accepted?" queried Disa, taking the envelope and opening it.  "But I haven't even applied…" she trailed off into silence.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  The finest school of magic in the United Kingdom.  I'm on pretty good terms with the headmaster," Aradia winked.

"Magic?" Disa whispered.  "But how…I don't understand."  She looked at the witch Aradia, who she realized was truly a witch.  "I can't do magic!"

"That's why you go there.  To learn how to use magic.  To learn what you are destined to learn," Aradia said.  "You actually descend from a fairly prominent line of witches and wizards.  Your mother, especially, was a highly skilled witch herself."

Disa just stared in wonderment at the letter she held in her hands.  The words seemed to dance around the page.  _Magic.  Enchantments.  Her head spun with all of the opportunities that had been laid out before her.  She could get away from this place where she had lived for the past thirteen years.  She could make a name for herself, start all over at a new school, leave everyone she ever knew in Barrow-In-Furness…_

Disa looked up teary-eyed at Aradia.  "How can I leave you after you have done so much for me?  You've always taken care of me.  How can I just pack up and leave?"

Aradia stroked Disa's cheek.  "It's time for you to take care of yourself from now on.  That is, if you take this opportunity.  I can arrange somewhere for you to stay in London at the end of the summer so you can take the train to Hogwarts.  I'll make sure that you are caught up on things you have missed in the past years so you will be able to be in classes with young witches and wizards of your own age.  But it's up to you to decide whether or not to undertake this."  Aradia looked at Disa in a strange way.  Disa felt as though the old witch's eyes were looking into her very soul.  

"Do you know what your name means, Disa my dear?"  Disa shook her head.  "It means double, two different ways.  You have two choices: to stay here and attend the same school that you have been going to, or leave and start a whole new adventure."  Aradia smiled in such a mysterious way.  "Winter into summer.  Night into day.  To stay or to go.  Disa, what do you choose?"

"Now, gentlemen, this is indeed uncalled for!" a voice cried, breaking Disa out of her reverie.  Florean Fortescue tumbled out of a cloud of smoke with his ears turned into two very large, very fuchsia whelks.  Disa could see Barthemus and Archibald doubled over with laughter and shaking each other's hands in victory.  Evidently, their little family spat was over.  For this year, at least.

"It never ends, does it?" Florean said, exasperated, as he passed Disa.  "I'll have to find a mirror so I can fix these damned ears."

"Here, allow me to help," Disa said, picking up her wand.  This wand was very special to Disa, not only because her grandmother left it to her, but also because of a little visit to the only wand shop on Diagon Alley.

Mr. Ollivander was very interested in Disa's wand.  Aradia suggested that he should be the one to make sure the wand was in perfect working order.  So, in late August, when Disa arrived at the Leaky Cauldron to stay until the start of the term, she walked rather timidly into the foreboding  Ollivander's – Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. Mr. Ollivander himself seemed surprised to see her.  He was even more surprised when she asked him to inspect her wand.  He ran his long, spindly fingers over the grooves and gouges on the entire length of the wand.  His crooked nose was mere centimeters from it as he carefully peered at every minute detail on it.  He proceeded to turn a vase of flowers into velvety black butterflies and he produced a miniature hippopotamus out of thin air.  Through all of this, he never said a word to Disa until he handed back her wand.

"You say this wand has been in your family for generations?" he asked, boring his moonlike eyes into her own.  

"I know that it was my great-grandmother's for sure," Disa replied, working off the knowledge that Aradia had bestowed upon her.

"Very curious," Mr. Ollivander murmured.  "I've always told my patrons that it is not the wizard or witch that chooses the wand, but really the wand that chooses its owner.  I can tell that this wand is very old, older than you might think.  You have been chosen as the owner of this wand from long before, Ms. Volyn.  I have to wonder what else you have already been chosen to do."

Disa felt very uncomfortable at this point.  While many things during the past few weeks were new and surprising to her, she never thought that a life of magic would require her to give up her freedom of choice.  The idea that her decisions were already planned out for her was quite frightening.

She had thanked Mr. Ollivander for his time and tried to pay him, but he would not accept her money.  The rest of that week was spent picking up a few new schoolbooks, a new work robe and spending her time studying at Florean's shop, where she was currently and carefully transfiguring his ears back to their original state.

When Florean's ears looked like ears and were not an unsightly shade of pink, he thanked Disa profusely and tried to offer her another sundae.  Disa laughed and refused politely.

"I won't be able to fit into my school robes at this rate!" she teased, packing her books into her bag.

Florean smiled and waved good-bye to Disa as he went back into his shop.  Disa shoved her wand into her belt and began walking back to her room at the Leaky Cauldron.  A loud crash behind her caused Disa to turn quickly.  The huge rabbit that the little witch had wanted to take home had plopped himself down on one of Florean's outdoor tables.  Florean ran outside with a broom crying, "Why me?"

As she watched the scene unfold, Disa bumped into someone quite hard.  She toppled over, the weight of her bag dragging her back.  

"Umph," Disa grunted.  A hand appeared in front of her face.  She took it and as she stood up she said, "Sorry about that.  I was a little distracted by Harvey over there."  She grinned sheepishly at the boy who appeared to be of her own age standing in front of her.

"Harvey?  You know that rabbit personally?" he grinned, pushing the bangs of his black hair back, revealing green eyes blinking behind his glasses.

"Oh, sure, we're the best of friends," Disa laughed back.  She recognized this boy from the Leaky Cauldron.  She saw him occasionally during the past week eating breakfast in the dining room or looking in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies.

"Well, I've always been told it was a good idea to know a person with such friends as an insanely large bunny rabbit.  So allow me to introduce myself.  Harry Potter," he said, extending his hand.

"Disa Volyn.  Nice to meet you Harry," she smiled.  She was a little confused at the strange look he gave her, but it quickly disappeared.  "I've seen you around the Leaky Cauldron.  Are you staying there?" she asked.

"Yes, until September.  Then it's off to school," he said, making a mock face of disgust.

"Oh!  Do you go to Hogwarts?" Disa asked excitedly.  "I'm starting there in September also!"

"Really?  Aren't you a bit, well, old to just be starting?" Harry asked, surprised.  "Not that that's a bad thing, but just a bit unusual."

"Is it really?" Disa said, a little worried.  "There's so much that I still need to learn!  I spent the last few months learning to handle this thing," she said, waving her wand around.  "Now I'm going to be the new girl at Hogwarts.  I was hoping to blend right in."

"Don't worry about it too much.  People will lose interest quickly when the homework starts rolling in.  What year are you going to be in?" Harry asked.

"I've been told fifth year.  I just have to meet with the Headmaster before classes start to go over a few things," Disa told Harry.  "I'm afraid that my wand skills might not be up to par with everyone else though."

"I can help you out there.  We still have a week until classes start.  I'll help you with transfiguration and charms if you'd like," he offered.  "I'm in fifth year, too."

"Oh, I'd really appreciate it!" Disa exclaimed.  "I would feel so much better if you could do that for me!"

"Of course," Harry smiled.  "We can start by fixing Florean's squashed table over there."

Over the next few days, Disa and Harry spent almost every waking moment with each other.  Harry told Disa that he was staying at the Leaky Cauldron because his uncle and aunt, whom he lived with, had gone on a last minute vacation to visit some distant relatives.  Harry's friends from school had been there the week before, so he was glad to find someone his own age to spend the remaining time with.  The two explored all corners of Diagon Alley, all the time making sure Disa was ready for her meeting with Headmaster Dumbledore.  Harry seemed impressed with her transfiguration skills, which came easy to Disa.  Charms were far more difficult for her, though.  She performed a Napping Charm on Harry and ended up dragging him back across Diagon Alley to his room because he would not wake up.  Five hours later, he was so rested and energetic that Disa was tempted to put a Relaxation Charm on him, but thought the better of it.

Harry informed Disa all about the classes she would be taking in a week.  She felt fairly confident that she could pass all of her classes, but was openly worried about Charms, for obvious reasons.  She was looking forward to Transfiguration and especially Astronomy.

"I've always loved astronomy," she admitted to Harry as they walked past Gambol & Japes Wizarding Joke Shop.  "There's something so mysterious and yet so straight-forward about it.  I love learning about the constellations the most.  Lyra, Andromeda, Hercules, Draco…"

Harry made an odd face at this.  He quickly cleared his throat and said, "Want to step into Flourish & Blotts with me?  I have to buy a book that I had forgotten about."

"Sure," Disa agreed, all the time thinking that even though she had become such good friends with Harry over the past week, she still did not know so much about him.

As Harry talked to the manager about what book he needed, Disa wandered about the store.  She loved books so much.  Even though Disa and her grandmother had lived in a small house, there were so many books crammed into that tiny space.  Books always brought fond memories of her Nana to Disa's mind.  She walked over to a cramped section of books that seemed to be dealing with recent history.  She pulled out a book entitled _Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century._  Flipping though it, she skimmed an article about the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore.  She was far more nervous about meeting him now that she knew he discovered the twelve uses of dragon blood, among other impressive things.  She continued to flip through the book when she came upon a picture she instantly recognized.  She sat down on the low stool next to her in order to read the whole chapter on this amazing fifteen-year-old boy.

Harry popped his head around the shelf that Disa was behind, a copy of _Predict What's In This Book! _in his hand.  "Find anything interesting?" he asked.

"Yes, I have, actually," Disa said, turning the book around so that Harry could see the moving picture of himself.  "I didn't know you actually _like lima beans."_

Harry blushed and said, "Well, they're not as bad as everyone thinks…Wait, that's not what I meant to say.  Did you read that whole chapter about me?" he asked, seemingly nervous about what Disa's reaction would be.

 "Of course.  I just thought you were good at Charms, but after this," Disa said, gesturing to the book.  "I don't know Harry.  I don't know what to expect out of you now."

"I apologize for not telling you about that.  I just couldn't find the right time to do it," he explained

"Oh, no need to apologize.  You probably thought I was really out of it when I didn't recognize you when I met you," Disa laughed.  "I'm so far behind in a great many things."

"Well, I did think it was a bit odd," Harry admitted, "but it was very refreshing at the same time.  I never meet anyone new now that doesn't have a preconceived notion about who and what I am.  I'm glad I could start out with a clean slate with you," he grinned.  "And I don't think you are out of anything.  You impress me so much with how well you've adapted to this new situation you've been throw into.  It took me almost a whole year to get comfortable with everything.  I'm still learning about things."

Disa put the book back on the shelf.  "Well, you can certainly teach me what you know so far.  Like, how in the world do you fight a dragon?  I've read that you are pretty good at that," she said.

"This could take a while.  Shall we get some ice cream and make sure Florean doesn't need anymore help repairing his tables?" Harry laughed.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Disa agreed, and they walked side by side over to the ice cream parlor, laughing all the way.

*

The day before the Hogwarts Express was slated to leave from King's Cross Station, Harry and Disa were picking up some last minute supplies at Scribbulus Everchanging Inks.  Disa was showing Harry an enchanted ink well that contained ink especially designed for your enemies.  When you wrote them a letter in that ink, it would create a horrible smell when they opened it that would follow them around for days.  Harry was looking at it with quite the interested look on his face when a girl who looked a year or two older than they walked in the store.  Harry nearly dropped the bottle he was holding when he caught a glimpse of her.

"Careful there, Harry," Disa said, grabbing the ink well from him.  "You look as though you've seen a ghost," she joked but stopped laughing when Harry did not appear to hear her.  She reached out and tugged his sleeve lightly.  "Harry?"

The girl walked by them.  "Hullo, Cho," Harry said, almost too quietly to hear.  She turned around and the look of sadness and pity on her face surprised Disa.

"Oh, hi, Harry," Cho said.  She pushed her long black hair back and revealed large brown eyes that seemed to look past Harry into nothingness.

Harry and Cho engaged in small talk that was strained and stilted.  Disa observed that Harry acted as though he was almost embarrassed to talk to this extremely pretty girl.  Disa hated to admit it to herself, but she was jealous of this girl's beauty.  Cho almost had the same shade of hair that Disa did, but Cho's complemented her face completely, framing her in lovely darkness.  Disa's hair was simply chopped off right below the shoulders and tended to make her look washed out.  Her pale skin was never able to tan in the summer sun and the only sign that she had ever been outside was a handful of freckles splattered across the bridge of her nose.  Her blue eyes were the only colored thing about her, and even then, Disa felt as though her eyes revealed too much about her.  They easily filled with tears in time of sorrow and made her look like a calf off to the butcher's when she was frightened.  No one would ever describe her as pretty, but nonetheless, her countenance always left a lasting impression with the onlooker.

When an uncomfortable silence fell upon Cho and Harry, the former made her apologies and went to go pay for her feather quills.  Harry looked after her, then turned to Disa.

"Sorry about that.  I just haven't spoken to her for some time," he explained.  "She's had a difficult summer."  He sighed.  "I can't tell you why, Disa.  Not now, at least.  I wish I could, but I don't think I can."

"It's all right, Harry," Disa said, at the same time thinking that Harry had not been able to tell her anything remotely personal about him all week.  Give it time, she said to herself.  Don't ruin a friendship before it even has started.

"I'm going to stop at the owl post to mail a few letters since Hedwig is off delivering another one," said Harry.  Disa had met Hedwig a few days prior and recalled Harry telling her about how his owl was such a wonderful messenger.  "You can come with me, if you'd like," Harry suggested, sounding as though he would rather not be joined.

"I think I'm going to head back to my room.  I should review a few things before we leave tomorrow.  I'll meet you for dinner at six o'clock, then?" she said.

"Sounds good.  See you then," he called as he made his way down the cobblestones to the owl post.

A little weary, Disa climbed the stairs to her room in the Leaky Cauldron.  She tried to charm the sugar spoon from the tea set in the room to put spoonfuls of sugar into her teacup, but all it did was tap consistently on the bed post until Disa shoved it under a pile of old blankets in the closet. Exasperated, she flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling.  Her thoughts drifted from Harry to Aradia to Nana and back again.  Disa had tried to be patient, helpful and not too prying with Harry, but she feared that their brief rendezvous with companionship was over.

Her fears were seemingly confirmed at dinner when she and Harry hardly exchanged words.  They ate their stew in almost complete silence that was only broken when one would ask for the salt or for the pitcher of water.  They said goodnight to each other early under the pretense that they each needed their sleep for the long journey ahead.  

Disa stared at her textbooks without really seeing the words printed on the page.  She had thought for the past week that she would have someone to share her experiences at Hogwarts with, but now it seemed as though she would be alone forever.  She rolled over in her bed and looked out the window.  She restrained herself from shedding tears over a lost friendship that never really was.  A sharp tap at the window startled Disa, but she got up and opened the glass anyway.

"Hedwig?" she said incredulously.  "What are you doing here?  Are you done delivering letters?  Did you forget where Harry is staying?" she teased.  Hedwig ruffled her feathers in indignation, as though she would _ever_ forget where Harry was.  She stuck her leg out somewhat reluctantly and after Disa had taken the parchment that was attached there, she cuffed the back of Disa's head with her wing as she flew out of the open window.  

Disa read the letter as she closed her window, and smiled to herself when she had finished.  Apparently, she had been worried about nothing important.

_Dear Disa,_

_I want to apologize for today.  I can't really explain why I acted the way I did, partly because I don't know how to put it into words and partly because I truly don't know why.  I wrote this note to tell you that I know I am very lucky to have met you, despite the fact that we hardly know each other.  All that I really know for sure is that I feel as though this week has flown by.  It also feels like it took a lifetime.  It seems like we have been friends for hundreds of years, and I am thankful that I bumped into you this week.  I would have told you this in person, but I would have messed it all up and ended up telling you that you have very nice fingernails, which wasn't the point of the conversation.  Anyway, I hope you can forgive me.  Sleep well._

_Harry_

Disa wrapped her bathrobe around her and climbed a few stairs to get up to Harry's room.  She quietly knocked on his door and heard him pad over to open it.  When he did, he grinned sheepishly at her and began, "Disa, I…"

 She held up her hand.  "I just came up to say goodnight.  Properly, I mean.  When I said it before, I really didn't wish you a _good_ night.  I rather had hoped you wouldn't be able to get to sleep.  Sorry about that," she said.

Harry laughed.  "Really, it's no problem.  I should be the one apologizing."

"No one is at fault here," Disa said.  She cleared her throat, then announced, "Well, goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Disa," Harry responded, and watched her with a little bit of wonderment as she made her way back to her room.  All this week, Harry thought, she's never failed to surprise me.  Unbeknownst to him, she never would.

**Author's notes:**  Thanks for reading! Please review as it would be greatly appreciated.


	2. Trial and Error

**Disclaimer:  ** All canon characters and places are attributed to J.K. Rowling.  

Chapter 2   Trial And Error

_"No, not you!  It can't be you!"_

_"It is, my dear.  Your Protector."_

_A woman screamed._

_A short, derisive laugh followed.  Then, a sigh._

_"This is for your own good, you know."_

Disa woke with a start.  She felt chilled, even though faint sunlight was streaming through the rather grimy windows of her room at the Leaky Cauldron.  Wisps of her nightmare floated stealthily out of her mind as she tried to grab onto them.  A woman, frightened, perhaps for her life, had screamed.  A man, her attacker? Disa wondered, had laughed.  A sense of something ancient, something that had not been touched upon for hundreds of years, filled Disa to the core.  Something about her dream made her nervous, even sick to her stomach, but she could not quite put her finger on it...

A loud thump at her door caused Disa to jump.

"Disa!  Let's get some breakfast before we have to leave!" came Harry's slightly muffled voice.  "It's a long train ride to Hogwarts!"

"Coming!"  Disa called, pulling on her slacks and a sweater.  A quick comb through her hair, a glance in the mirror (who whistled appreciatively) and she was next to Harry on the landing.

"Ready?" she asked, turning towards the stairs.

"Whoa," Harry said.  Curious, Disa turned to look at him.  His green eyes were wide.  "I think you got ready faster than I did this morning!" he said, a tone of awe in his voice.

Putting an expression of mock surprise on her face, Disa looked down and said, "Well I'll be!  How could it be that little old me got dressed in under five minutes!  This will perplex me for the rest of the day!  Oh, no, I'm all a flutter."  She then placed her hand to her forehead and pretended to faint.

Laughing, Harry helped her up off the floor and said, "Ok, ok, I see your point.  How about we go downstairs and I'll let you in on my greatest culinary invention yet?  I call it 'The'...er, the...I don't know what I call it, but it contains pancakes, eggs and lots of strawberries.  It's actually quite good!  Only Tom knows about this and you could be one of the three people on earth who has ever tasted it!"

Screwing her mouth into what she thought was a pensive expression, Disa paused for a few moments, and finally pronounced, "I would love to, my dear Mr. Potter."  She extended her arm for Harry to take.

Grinning widely, Harry took her arm and they walked elegantly down the shabby staircase to a breakfast that was as good as he had promised.

*

Two hours, two packed trunks and three plates of Harry's Surprise, as it had become to be known, later, Disa and Harry were in the back of a Muggle taxi that Disa had called for with Hedwig safely in a cage between them, heading towards Kings Cross Station.  Harry was telling Disa about his cousin Dudley, and Disa was wiping tears of laughter from her eyes after Harry snorted like a pig, the conclusion to his story about Dudley's encounter with Hagrid, the Hogwarts groundskeeper and teacher.

"And...and then," Harry choked, gulping for air, as he was laughing so hard.  "Last summer, he ate some candy Fred and George had dropped, and his tongue grew about four feet long!"

After another round of laughter, Disa said, "Wait, who are Fred and George?"

Harry looked surprised for a moment and then said, "Of course!  You haven't met them!  They're my best friend, Ron Weasley's, twin brothers.  They are seventh years and hilarious.  You have to meet them, of course, along with Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, can't miss him....literally, and I think you'd like Lee Jordan, too.  Neville Longbottom is very nice..."

By the time they had reached the station, the list of people that Disa "had" to meet was over thirty strong, ranging from fourth years to ghosts to pictures.  After the two had found trolleys for their trunks, Harry began leading the way.

"Platform 9¾ is right over here, hidden so Muggles don't accidentally see us all together, you know," Harry said, gesturing somewhere between platforms nine and ten.

"9¾,?  Of course.  Why would it be anything different?" Disa muttered, trying to figure out how to get on the platform.

"Maybe we should go together, seeing as it's your first time," Harry said, making sure Hedwig and his trunks were secure.  "Just walk quickly at that barrier, and we'll be through."

Heart beating a little quicker than usual, Disa nodded.

"All set.  Start walking!" Harry said, focusing on the wall.

Determined to act as if she knew what she was doing, Disa began walking briskly towards the wall.  Common sense was screaming, "You're going to crash, you dolt!" in her mind, but she walked even faster.  Ten feet from the wall, Harry shot her a reassuring smile and said, "Almost there!"  Disa turned to return his smile, but as she did, she realized that the wall she was supposed to hit was not there.  Facing forward, she saw the platforms on either side of her had vanished and one had appeared that had not been there before.  A scarlet steam engine was now in her view, smoke billowing in all directions.  She turned back to Harry, her mouth slightly open.

He smiled broadly and said, "Cool, huh?"

A little dazed, Disa did not answer but instead began looking at all of the students milling around.  She had not really noticed them before, but now they seemed even more interesting than the circumstances under which she traveled through the barrier.  

A group of girls was giggling around one particular student, a tall girl with straight blonde hair...no, curly auburn hair.  Disa shook her head.  Now the girl had close-cropped black hair with purple streaks in it.  Concentrating on the group, Disa heard the tall girl say, "It's the newest thing: The Changaroo-Do!  It switches hairstyles on your tiniest whim..."  The group oohed appreciatively as the girl's hair became flowing strands of mahogany.

Disa felt something slimy land on her foot.  Surprised, she looked down and found a toad croaking merrily on her shoe.  Looking up to see where it came from, she noticed a round boy come racing towards her.  

"Trevor!  There you are," the boy said, scraping the toad up.  Sheepishly, he glanced at Disa and said, "Sorry 'bout that.  He always gets away from me."

"No problem," Disa smiled as Harry turned to them.

"Neville!  How was your summer?" he said, patting the boy on the back.

"All right.  Are you ready for the Quidditch season this year, Harry?" Neville asked.

"Think so.  We are in need of a new Keeper though.  Interested, Neville?" Harry smiled rather mischievously.

Blushing and shaking his head furiously, Neville said, "No!  I never want to go near a broom again!"

Harry laughed.  "Oh well, it was worth a try.  By the way," he said, glancing at Disa, "This is my friend Disa Volyn.  She's new, but she'll be in our year."

Neville shook Disa's outstretched hand and said, "Nice to meet you," before Trevor the toad jumped out of his pocket.  "Not again!" he cried, and called goodbye to Harry and Disa as he chased after his pet.

Harry looked after Neville for a moment and turned to Disa.  "Good guy, Neville Longbottom," he said.

"He seems very nice," Disa agreed.

Harry nodded.  "He is...He is...Well, I see an empty compartment.  Want to nab it before someone else does?"

"Sure," Disa said, grabbing her trolley.

After about ten minutes' worth of struggling with their trunks, Disa and Harry sat down on the seats, breathing rather hard.

"Never gets easier, that part," Harry said, wiping perspiration off his brow with his sleeve.  "You would think..."

"Oy!  George!  Do you reckon we should try to sell the new, er, line of products on the train?" called a voice near the open window of the compartment.

"Shh!  Not so loud; Mum's right over there," a second voice hissed.  "No, Mum!  Nothing, we're not doing anything, just checking to make sure our Potions papers are all right!" the second voice said louder.  Then it hissed, "See what you've done, you stupid prat!  Why can't you keep your mouth shut?"

"Because then the lasses can't see my winning smile..." the first voice whined.

The voices trailed away, covered up by the conversation of the students, meowing from cats and the occasional owl hoot.

"That's Fred and George Weasley!" Harry said, jumping up.  "I'm going to say hello to them.  Want to come?"

"I'll meet them later," Disa said, putting her feet on Harry's seat.  "I'll just save our seats."

"Good idea.  Be right back," he said, running out of the train.

Getting comfortable in her seat, Disa followed Harry with her eyes across the platform.  She saw him meet up with a family, all with flaming red hair, consisting of a mother, a father, three boys and a girl.  Harry was bombarded with slaps on the back from the boys, two of whom were twins (Fred and George, Disa thought), a hearty handshake from the father, a warm smile from the girl and a big hug from the mother.  Smiling slightly to herself, Disa felt a twinge in her chest.

Too bad Nana isn't here to see me off, she thought.  She would have been so excited...

"Are these seats taken?" a voice interrupted Disa's thoughts.

She turned towards the doorway and her gaze met a pale boy with blond hair and grey eyes, who was already in his school robes, a green and silver striped tie at his neck.  Beside him were two other boys, both roughly the size of small elephants, wearing the same thing.

"Actually, yes, I was saving them for my friend..." she began.

"I don't believe we've met," the boy said, stepping into the compartment and extending his hand.  "Draco Malfoy."

Disa stood up and shook his hand.  It was surprisingly warm, so different from his cold eyes and voice.  "Disa Volyn."

"Volyn," Draco murmured.  "I'm not familiar with the name.  Where is your family from?"

"Ukraine," Disa said.  "But I've been living with my grandmother in Barrow-In-Furness since I was two."

"Hmm...I see," he said, glancing at his companions.  "Oh yes, this is Crabbe and Goyle," he said, gesturing to either side of him.  "You look too old to be a first year.  Did you go to Durmstrang or something?"

"I'm a fifth year and no, I didn't go there," Disa said, uncomfortable because she had no idea what Durmstrang was.  "I was, er, taught at home."

"Taught at home?" Draco repeated, looking at Disa from head to toe.  "Well, I'm sure you'll find Hogwarts much different than what you're used to.  Have you been Sorted yet?" he said.

"N-no, not yet," Disa stumbled, thrown off by Draco's abrupt questions and unsure of what he meant by 'Sorted'.

"You will probably be Sorted with the first years tonight.  I wonder which House you'll be in.  I don't know what qualities you posses, but you're most likely quite clever, especially with all of that individual attention you received at home.  You're probably much more clever than anyone could ever guess just by looking at you," Draco drawled.  Disa did not know whether this comment was a compliment or not.  Draco paused and took a step closer to Disa.  His face was a little flushed, different from when he first came into the compartment.  He was taller than Disa so that she had to tilt her face slightly upwards to see his eyes and he smelled faintly of a scent that Disa found very familiar but could not quite put her finger on.  "You should hope to be in Slytherin. I myself am in it," Draco said with a content look on his face.  He leaned forward, his face now only inches from Disa's own, and looked down into her blue eyes.  "Only the best are Sorted there."

An odd feeling began in Disa's stomach.  She felt as though she was spiraling downward and she thought she heard a woman's voice in her head. 

_"You are supposed to be my Protector!  The best, the most honored..."_

_"I am the best!" a voice hissed.  "The best!"_

"So," Draco said, stepping back and breaking Disa out of her reverie.  He had his arms folded across his chest and was leaning on the doorpost.  "You play Quidditch?"

Perplexed, Disa stammered for a moment, utterly confused at what the word 'Quidditch' meant, but was relieved to see Harry coming down the corridor with one of the red-haired boys and a girl with bushy brown hair.  Draco, too, noticed them.

"Ahh, Potter.  How...nice to see you," he drawled.  "Please, be on your merry way.  I think I saw a fan club being formed in the last car by the Creevy brothers.  Why don't you grace them with your presence?"

"Out of my way, Malfoy," Harry growled, an expression of hate on his face that Disa was surprised to see.  "This is our compartment."

"Your compartment?" Draco repeated, raising his eyebrows at Disa.  "So these are your friends you were saving seats for?"

Disa nodded.

A grimace appeared on Draco's face.  "You're friends with...these?" he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.  "The pauper, the Mudblood and the freak?  Hah!" Draco spat, glaring at Harry.  "I had thought, perhaps..."  He shook his head, and then looked at Disa.  He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him so that his mouth was practically tickling her left ear_._  "Pity," he hissed maliciously, "that the misfits got to you first." Then, whispering softly, "You could have been great with me."  He pushed her back, locked grey eyes with blue, and with one last glare at Harry, Draco and his sidekicks stalked out of the compartment.

Disa stared after him as Harry and his two friends came into the compartment.  Harry slammed his body into his seat, as the red-haired boy sat grumpily down and the brunette girl looked frazzled.

"Aargh!  I was hoping he would fall off a cliff this summer!" the girl said.

"Nah, he wouldn't have the time.  His father probably sent him off to Junior Deatheaters camp," the boy grumbled, swatting at a minute owl that was hooting incessantly around his head.

"He and his father probably had tea with Voldemort every afternoon, discussing the weather, Quidditch and global domination.  You know, the usual," Harry muttered.

The red-haired boy winced.  "You-Know-Who, if you please."

"Oh, Ron, come off it," the girl scolded."You can call him whatever you want, Harry, but please try to stray from the subject of global domination…"

Disa cleared her throat.

The group jumped slightly.  They seemed to have forgotten about her due to the strange encounter with Draco.

Harry grinned sheepishly.  "Sorry about that.  Disa, this is Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.  Ron, Hermione, this is Disa Volyn.  She's in our year."

Ron extended his hand and Hermione smiled warmly.

"Harry mentioned you in his last letter," Hermione said, taking a large ginger cat out of a wicker basket.  "He said you learned magic from your grandmother and her friend.  I think that's very interesting. I'm sure they had old family tricks and secrets to share with you...probably more along the lines in potion making, even though I have read that some old wizarding families have their own signature curses and hexes, but that was when dueling was more popular.  I hope you like it here.  You're going to learn so many wonderful things!"  She said this rather hurriedly, as if she was trying to cover up whatever she, Ron and Harry were discussing before.

Not wanting to pry, seeing as though she only knew these people a few minutes, and Harry for only a week, Disa let the uncomfortable conversation slip her mind.  "Yes, my grandmother did teach me a lot, although I am afraid that I am a little behind in wand techniques.  My grandmother worked more along the lines of medicinal magic and potions.  I'm looking forward to that class especially," Disa admitted.

Ron and Harry each made a face.  "Ew, no you won't," Ron said.  "Snape teaches that one and he's horrible!"

"Yeah, he's not my favorite guy, that's for sure," Harry agreed.  "And, I have a feeling he won't be yours, either, Disa.  He's Head of Slytherin House, and he favors only Slytherins.  Even if you're the top of your year, like Hermione is." Hermione blushed. "It won't matter unless you are in Slytherin."

Confused, Disa said, "I'm sure this is going to sound stupid, but what _is_ Slytherin?"

"Oh, that's not stupid, of course you wouldn't know," Hermione said reassuringly.  "Slytherin is one of the four Houses at Hogwarts.  The dormitories and common rooms are in each of the Houses.  The other three are Gryffindor, which we all are part of, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.  They were named after the four founders of Hogwarts, and you are placed in a House depending on your abilities and your talents.  It's all quite interesting, and it's all in _Hogwarts, A History_.  I can let you borrow it, if you'd like," Hermione said eagerly.

"No!" Harry and Ron said suddenly.  

"No one ever really reads that book, besides Hermione over here," Ron said, gesturing to her.  "It's about a million pages full of useless information, but Hermione insists on dragging it everywhere she goes."

Harry laughed and said, "He's right.  I sincerely believe that Hermione is the only person who has read it cover to cover, including the author."__

Indignant, Hermione crossed her arms across her chest and shot looks at her companions.  The ginger cat sitting on her lap did the same.  Noticing this, Disa said, "I would love to borrow it from you sometime, Hermione."

A bright smile came across her face, and any hard feelings she had for the boys now disappeared.  The cat gazed at Disa and began to purr.  "I think your addition to this school and to our group of friends is definitely an improvement," Hermione said.

"Oh, am I officially part of your select group of friends now?" Disa said jokingly.

Harry was about to answer when two identical red- haired boys appeared in the doorway with a platter of delicious looking candy on it.  Disa heard her stomach rumble despite the large breakfast she had that morning.

"Hello, all!" one of the boys said cheerfully.  "We've got some scrumptious delectables here.  Anyone like to try one?"

No one moved to reach for a piece of what looked like pink marshmallows, so Disa felt as though it would be odd if she took a piece from two boys she didn't know.  The twins each had a strange smile on their faces as they glanced around the compartment.  Their eyes soon fell upon Disa and they stepped inside out of the hallway.

"Ah, I do not believe we have been introduced," said one of the boys.  "My name is Fred Weasley, and this is George," he said, pointing to the boy with the platter in his hands.

"I see you've met our brother, Ron, already," George said, glancing at his sibling, who scowled at him.  Turning back, he put a serious expression on his face and said, "I'm sorry."

Ron's scowl deepened.

Extending her hand, Disa introduced herself and shook Fred's hand.  However, when she went to shake George's, she was met with the tray of goodies.

"Care for one?" he asked cheerfully.

Disa smiled and took one.  As she put it in her mouth, she vaguely noticed Ron and Harry gesturing to her to spit it out.  But before she could really comprehend what they were saying, she swallowed.

Bright and expectant smiles appeared on the twin's faces, and Hermione buried her head in her hands.  Puzzled, Disa wondered what was going on when suddenly an odd, itching sensation began on her scalp.  Even more puzzled, Disa looked wonderingly at the twins, who were trying in vain to conceal their laughter.  However, her view of the twins was suddenly obstructed by a sheet of a black, silky something.  

Disa could not see anything, but she could hear muffled laughter coming from in front of her.  Moving the something away from her eyes, she saw the twins slapping each other high fives as Harry and Ron were wiping tears from their eyes.  Hermione looked agitated.

Looking at what was in front of her face, Disa realized it was hair.  In fact, upon closer inspection, she realized it was _her_ hair.  And it reached the floor.  Tugging gently on a section of it, Disa knew it was most definitely attached to her head.  Glancing up, Disa saw the twins looking at her expectantly.

Disa smiled and said, "Well, even though I did like my old hair cut, I'll admit, long hair has its advantages.  With this style, I don't think I'll ever have to wear clothes again.  Everything's covered up quite well, I'll say."

Smiling, George walked up to her and said, "Then you're not mad that we fed you jinxed marshmallows?"

Laughing, Disa said, "Not at all!"

"Excellent!" he said, and firmly shook her hand.  "Welcome to Hogwarts, Disa!"

Fred and George were about to troop out of the compartment when Disa called, "Is this going to stay like this forever?"

"No!" Fred said.  "It _should_ go away in a few minutes.  We're not exactly sure.  We invented it ourselves, but we still aren't sure how long the effects stay with people.  That's why we're trying them out now!"

"Hey, let's find Malfoy and watch his face when his perfect hair touches the floor!" George said as the twins walked down the corridor.

Pushing her hair behind her shoulders, Disa looked at her new friends and said, "This year is going to be fun!"

Harry laughed and said, "It should be.  And, Disa, you are most definitely part of our group now.  Anyone who could survive a Weasley twin attack and laugh about it is our friend for sure."

The rest of the train ride was spent playing Gobstones in the compartment, explaining to Disa the finer points of Quidditch, and watching her hair shrink back to its original length.  Disa was also introduced to Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, and Ron's tiny owl, Pig.  Disa soon found out that the latter was consistently annoying, but Ron seemed to put up with his pet reasonably well.  When an older witch came with a cart full of sweets, Disa was a bit wary to buy any, but was assured that the treats were perfectly harmless, and delicious, to say the least.  About a half an hour after the last Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean (honey flavored) disappeared, the Hogwarts Express began to slow down.  Disa could feel her pulse quicken as she realized her new home was just around the corner.

"Better change into your robes, Disa," Hermione said, extracting a black bundle from her trunk.

Nodding, Disa also opened her trunk and got out her robes.  After she pulled them over her head, she saw that everyone walking by in the corridors had theirs on, too. Turning back to Hermione, she noticed that the tie at her neck was striped scarlet and gold, unlike the black one Disa had on.  Ron and Harry also had similar ones.

"Are those the Gryffindor colors?" Disa asked, gesturing to her friends' necks.

"Yup.  Hopefully you'll be wearing these colors soon, too," Ron said, smiling.

Disa smiled back and was about to answer when the train slowed down dramatically.  Her smile widened as she ran to the window and saw a train station that was marked 'Hogsmeade' loom before her.

"We're here!" Disa practically squealed and she clapped her hands excitedly.  Her companions looked at each other knowingly, as they had felt the same excitement four years ago.  By now, the novelty had worn off.  But only a little.

Soon, every student was off the train and milling around, leaving their luggage on the steam engine.  Disa saw a large man looming over everyone else, saying "Firs' years, firs' years this way!"

Harry pointed at him and said, "That's Hagrid.  He looks intimidating, but you'll learn that he has the biggest heart out of anyone I have ever met.  You should probably go with him this time.  You'll be able to get a great first view of Hogwarts if you do.  We'll meet up with you in the Great Hall soon.  Hopefully you'll be sitting next to us!"  Harry patted Disa on the shoulder.

"All right, thanks, Harry," Disa said.  "I'll see you soon!" she called as she made her way through the crowd towards Hagrid.  Halfway there, she bumped into someone by accident.

"Sorry," she said and smiled at the person she had hit.  He turned around and Disa's smile faded.  Draco Malfoy gave her a disdainful look and turned back to the group he was with.  Disa walked quickly with her eyes lowered to Hagrid and the little first years, all of whom looked as nervous as Disa felt.

"This way!" Hagrid called, lifting his lantern high above his head.  Disa trooped after him, the head of the group of about fifty students.  She could hear whispers come from the young children, probably speculating why an older girl was with them.  Hagrid turned around to make sure everybody was following him.  As he did so, he saw Disa, walking ahead of the group.  

"Ah, yeh mus' be Disa Volyn, aren' yeh?" he said cheerfully.  "Dumbledore tol' me yeh'd be comin'.  He said I wouldn' miss yeh, since yeh were the oldest firs' year, by far."  Disa smiled kindly at him.  He smiled back and said, "I heard that yeh were pretty smart too.  Are yeh takin' classes with rest of the fifth years?"

Disa nodded and said, "I hope I can do everything I need to."  She had not realized until that moment how nervous she really was about doing magic in front of other people, excluding Harry.

Hagrid looked thoughtful and said, "I'm sure yeh will do just fine.  If Dumbledore didn' think that yeh could do it, he wouln' of accepted yeh.  He's a good man.  He'll make sure yeh do all right."

Disa sighed in relief and said, "That sure is good to know."

Hagrid smiled at her again and then said in a large, booming voice, "All right!  Get in a boat and don' fall in.  I don' like going in and fishin' yeh out, yeh hear?"  He turned to Disa and said, "Enjoy the ride."

Disa stepped into a boat and three incessantly chattering girls followed her.  Disa shook her head and settled into her seat.  The ride was uneventful until the troupe of boats went around a bend and Hogwarts finally came into view.  The group drew a collective breath at the majesty of the sight.  The huge castle, complete with turrets and towers, loomed in front of a large moon, stars sparkling behind it.  For the third time that day, a falling feeling awakened in Disa's stomach.

Soon, the boats were docked and everyone had gotten out.  Hagrid led the way up a long series of stone steps to the front doors of the castle.  He knocked on the oak doors, and as they were opened, the students saw a stern looking witch staring back at them.  

"Welcome to Hogwarts.  I am Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House and Transfiguration teacher.  Follow me, if you please."

Disa turned her head and saw Hagrid wave to her as she walked though the doorway.  She waved back and followed Professor McGonagall into a small room on the side of the Entrance Hall.  When everyone had entered, McGonagall shut the doors and gave them all a stern look.  All chatting stopped immediately.

Looking satisfied, McGonagall said, "In a few moments you will enter the Great Hall and you will be Sorted.  The Sorting Ceremony will place you in a specific House where you will reside for the rest of the school year.  Your Housemates will be like family to you, as you will be spending the majority of your time with them, both inside and outside of class.  Each of the four houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin, has its own rich history and accomplishments.  Tonight you will see which Houses you are to be parts of."

No one spoke.  McGonagall looked at them all, and her gaze fell upon Disa.  She said, "The Sorting will begin in a few minutes, so you may chat quietly as I attend to some business.  Ms. Volyn, I'd like a word with you."

Blushing slightly and avoiding eye contact with any of the younger students, Disa walked to McGonagall's side.  When she reached her, McGonagall said, "Is everything in order, Ms. Volyn?"

Disa nodded.  "Good," McGonagall said.  "You do know that even though you are being sorted with first years, you will take your place with the fifth years, correct?  And that you will need to be prepared to demonstrate you magical abilities tomorrow afternoon?"

Disa nodded again.  She regarded McGonagall as quite intimidating.  The professor looked at her for a moment and said, "Very well."  She turned her gaze to the other students and said, "The Sorting commences!"

Everyone lined up behind McGonagall, and Disa brought up the rear.  They crossed the Entrance Hall and entered the Great Hall, which was now full with the rest of the school population.  Disa noticed the boys and girls in front of her pointing at the ceiling, so she looked up.  To her surprise, there was no ceiling!  Stars winked at her from a navy blue night sky.  A look of awe on her face, Disa searched the Hall and almost immediately came upon Harry, Hermione and Ron, sitting at one of the four long tables that lined the room.  They waved furiously at her, Ron giving her the thumbs up sign.  Disa also saw Fred and George next to them.  George held a pink marshmallow above his head and pointed to it.  Disa smiled and shook her head.

McGonagall had left the front of the line and now reappeared with a stool and an old, decrepit hat.  Disa was not sure what the hat was for, but soon her questions were answered.  A tear in the lower part of the hat opened wide and the hat began to sing:

_The Founders of Hogwarts_

_Were the best of their kind._

_And into me they kindly put_

_A bit of each of their own minds._

_In order to do their work_

_Long after they were gone_

_I was put in their place_

_To Sort you all with a song._

_Where shall I put you?_

_Where shall you be?_

_You may only be in one House_

_And not the other three!_

_Are you a loyal Hufflepuff_

_With qualities that Helga liked?_

_Are you a hard worker_

_Who never puts up a fight?_

_Or perhaps you are a wise Ravenclaw_

_A modern-day Rowena you may be_

_Content to think all day_

_And read beneath a tree._

_A bold Gryffindor may be your style,_

_Hardy, steadfast and true._

_Bravery shines in you, like Godric,_

_And in your actions, the things you do._

_Cunning Slytherin may call to you_

_A student Salazaar liked to know._

_Ambition pushes you along,_

_Making me pity your every foe._

_So try me on, give it a whirl,_

_You may like what you find._

_I'll see your thoughts, your hopes, your dreams,_

_In short, I'll read your mind!_

Disa smiled widely and clapped as the Hat finished its song.  She was so amused that she forgot to be nervous until Professor McGonagall unrolled a piece of parchment and said, "Anderson, Delilah."

A rather mousy, slight girl walked up to the stool and sat down.  McGonagall plunked the Hat on her head.  After a few moments, the tear opened again and said, "RAVENCLAW!"

One of the middle tables burst into applause.  Delilah smiled and Disa could see her black tie turn magically into a blue and bronze striped one.  "Carthridge, Owen" performed the same actions as Delilah, but this time the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"  The far table broke into applause.  Disa saw Harry and Ron slapping Owen high fives as he sat down at their table.

The process carried on for some time.  "Hennessey, Abigail" became a Hufflepuff, a yellow and black tie at her neck, and "O'Hare, Stuart" became a Slytherin.  Disa glimpsed Draco Malfoy applauding as Stuart walked to his table.  Resolved not to look at him, she returned her attention to Professor McGonagall.  With a sudden stab of anxiety, Disa saw that she was the only student left who had not been Sorted.

McGonagall turned her steely gaze onto Disa and said firmly, "Volyn, Disa."  Disa could hear whisperings begin all around her.  She looked at Harry one last time with a worried expression on her face.  He nodded at her reassuringly.

Disa inhaled deeply and walked up to the stool that had the tattered hat upon it in such a way that she hoped passed as confident.  The last scene she saw before she was enveloped in soft cloth was hundreds of faces looking at her anxiously.  The darkness inside of the hat was somewhat relaxing, but Disaalmost jumped when she heard a small voice in her right ear say, "Hmmm.  Now this may be difficult."

Disa was not certain what was supposed to take place under the hat, but she knew for sure she did not want it to be difficult.  However, she listened attentively as the voice went on.

"You certainly have enough brains in your head to be in Ravenclaw," the voice mumbled, "But I see your backbone is made up of a lot of hard work, so there's a point for Hufflepuff."  The voice muttered some more.  "Now, here it becomes much more interesting.  Ambition runs so thickly through your veins that it is one with your blood, an excellent virtue of a Slytherin.  But...." More mumbling ensued.  "Oh dear, your heart! Such bravery it holds!  Why, it nearly seems to beat Gryffindor!  Oh, what to do, what to do!"  The voice continued to mumble and mutter.

Disa began to become slightly uncomfortable, since she knew that she had been up on the stool longer than anyone else had and she could hear muffled whispers of her classmates begin again outside of the confines of the hat.  That, and the way the voice was muttering indecisively was not helping much to calm her nerves.

"Well," the voice in her right ear said in a resigned manner, "I was always told to follow your heart, so I best put you in GRY-"

"Not so fast," a second voice hissed in Disa's left ear, much to her surprise.  "She has the blood of a worthy Slytherin; you said so yourself."  This second voice, to Disa's utter confusion, sounded the same as the first in pitch and cadence, but the tone in which it delivered its comments could not have been more different.  "_I_  happen to think that she belongs in SLY-"

"No!" cried the first voice.  "It has been foretold!  She shall fight!  She should fight valiantly and courageously in the Great Battle!  And the best way to do that, I say, is if her heart beats as a Gryffindor!"

"Aha," called the second voice cunningly.  "But hasn't it also been foretold that she will bleed?  There will be much blood on the ground on the day of the Battle, and the blood of a Slytherin would be an honor to fight for.  I say she bleed as a Slytherin!"

"I think not!" yelled the first voice in Disa's right hear quite loudly.  "I shall put her in-"

"And _I_," interrupted the second voice in Disa's left ear, equally as loud, "Shall put her in...."

There was a pause.  Disa waited nervously for the verdict on which House she was to be in, but all she heard was a huge explosion of sound that echoed throughout the Great Hall.  Any individual word that may have been in the cacophony of sounds was indistinguishable, much to Disa's dismay.  However, a new, clear sound had just fallen on Disa's ears.  A giant ripping noise was heard by all of the occupants of the Great Hall as Disa felt the Sorting Hat fall off her head.  Bewildered, she looked around and saw one tattered half of the hat on her right and the other on her left.  She then nervously looked around the Great Hall and saw everyone looking at her strangely and whispering to his or her neighbor.  She turned slightly to the side and saw Professor McGonagall and a man, whom Disa assumed to be a teacher, in tow, walking quickly towards her.  Both of the professors had a pinched look to their faces and seemed nervous for some unknown reason.

Horrified and speechless, Disa watched as Professor McGonagall picked up the half of the torn Sorting Hat on her right side as the other teacher went behind Disa and picked up the half on her left.  This professor kept shooting strange looks at her through his curtain of greasy black hair and Disa could see a grimace begin to form beneath his hooked nose.

"Not to worry, Ms. Volyn," McGonagall said rather unconvincingly.  "I'm sure Professor Flitwick, our Charms instructor, can find something to make this as good as new."  This comment sounded, again, unconvincing.

"What just happened?" Disa said quietly.  "I couldn't hear under that hat.  Where do I belong?"

Professor McGonagall and the hook-nosed teacher exchanged looks and McGonagall said, "Er, well, yes.  How about you step into the corridor with Professor Snape and myself for a moment?"

Disa agreed with her suggestion, and walked away from the prying eyes of the students in the Great Hall and their talking, which had increased from whispers to a murmur to full-out chattering.  Before Disa stepped into the corridor, she looked over her shoulder and saw an old wizard with a long silver beard, whom she recognized as Dumbledore, address the students about the traditional start of the term reminders.  She also saw Harry and Ron look at her curiously and she saw Hermione watching her with an odd expression on her face.

Disa's heart (of Gryffindor, her brain said) was beating a little quicker than usual and she felt her blood (Slytherin, her mind hissed) rush to her face as she walked down the hall behind Professors McGonagall and Snape.  Disa was hoping that this special excursion was due to the fact that she was the eldest new student and not about the unfortunate and mysterious circumstances under which the ancient Sorting Hat fell apart.  However, Disa had a sinking feeling they were to discuss the latter in McGonagall's office.

The little group had reached the door, which McGonagall opened with a wave of her wand and she ushered Disa and Professor Snape into her office.

"Sit down, Ms. Volyn," said Snape, motioning to a chair in front of McGonagall's desk, as McGonagall waved her wand again and a blazing fire roared in the grate.

Disa sat, but the two professors remained standing, looking at Disa with a manner of attempted, but not successful, composure on their faces.  There was an uncomfortable silence.

Disa cleared her throat and said, "I apologize about the hat..."

"No need to apologize," said McGonagall.  "We all know you didn't rip it...purposely.  Professor Snape and I," she said, glancing at the greasy-haired teacher who was looking intently at Disa, "brought you here because, well, frankly, nothing like this has ever happened in the history Hogwarts, as far as I know.  Have you heard anything of the sort, Professor Snape?" McGonagall asked.

"Never," Snape said, still boring his black eyes into Disa's own blue ones.  "Tell me, Ms. Volyn, exactly what happened after you put the Sorting Hat on your head?" he asked in a cool, silky voice.

Disa started to answer, but McGonagall interrupted.  "Now Severus, what happened during the Sorting is the student's business and we shouldn't pry-"

"I think," Snape said, turning his penetrating gaze to the professor, "that this time we can make an exception.  Now," he said, returning his eyes to Disa, "Ms. Volyn, you don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," Disa answered, unable to form a clear opinion of Professor Snape.  She was not sure if she liked him, but she felt as though she could not dislike him, despite Harry and Ron's unfavorable comments.  Disa looked squarely into his cold eyes and tried to remember as many details as possible.

"I put the Hat on like everyone else," Disa began, "and a little voice started speaking into my right ear.  It said that I was good for any House, but it narrowed me down to two Houses, Slytherin and Gryffindor.  This voice seemed to lean towards putting me in Gryffindor, and was about to when a second voice in my left ear interrupted."

"A s-second voice?" asked McGonagall, shooting looks at Snape, who seemed quite bewildered.

"Yes," Disa said, confused.  Apparently, two separate, arguing voices are not supposed to reside inside the Sorting Hat, she thought.  "This one didn't want me in Gryffindor," she continued, "but rather Slytherin.  Then they paused their bickering for a moment, and I heard a loud noise echoing in the Hall.  Then the hat ripped in two."  She stopped, and then said, "I assumed the noise was what House I'm in, but I couldn't understand what the announcement was.  Do you know which House I'm in?" Disa inquired of the professors.

McGonagall and Snape exchanged another one of their looks that was beginning to annoy Disa.  McGonagall finally said, "Right now, that is undecided.  Did the, er, _voices_ say anything else about your...situation?"

Disa thought, then said, "Well, yes, but it was all very strange.  One voice said that it was foretold that I would fight and that my heart should beat as a Gryffindor during, what it called, the Great Battle.  Then the other voice said that I would bleed and I should bleed as a Slytherin."  Disa shuddered at the thought and asked, "Are the voices able to predict the future?  Can this all be serious?"

McGonagall smiled reassuringly and said, "I have not known the Sorting Hat to be a fortune teller," but Snape blanched at Disa's words.

"Did you say that you were told, by the Sorting Hat, that you would fight in the Great Battle and bleed?  And the voices were resolved to put you in Slytherin _and_ Gryffindor?  Are you quite sure that is what happened?" he asked Disa shakily, with a glimmer of what looked suspiciously like fear in his cold black eyes.

Disa looked at him quizzically and simply said, "Yes."

Snape looked unblinking at her for a second, then croaked, "Could I see your wand for a moment?"

McGonagall looked at Snape, confused, as Disa felt, but Disa reached into her robes nonetheless and pulled out her wand.  She quickly glanced at the funny markings carved into the ivory, which Disa realized resembled pictures more than she had remembered before.  Sensing it would be better to examine the change later, she placed the wand into Snape's outstretched hand.

Snape brought the wand closer to his face, examined the markings, and Disa saw his eyes widen.  He swallowed hastily, gave back the wand, and said just above a dry whisper, "All is in order."

He then turned to McGonagall and said, "I think the headmaster would like to speak with Ms. Volyn."

McGonagall looked surprised, but she heard Snape's intensity about the statement and replied, "Very well.  I shall show Ms. Volyn to Professor Dumbledore's office while you fetch him."  
Snape nodded curtly, and swept out of the office, his black robes billowing out behind him.

McGonagall gazed after him, with a pensive but confused look on her face, and soon turned back to Disa.

"Are you hungry, Ms. Volyn?" she asked kindly.

If she had asked Disa that a quarter of an hour earlier, the answer would have been a resounding "Yes!"  Disa realized now that her stomach felt strangely queasy.

"No," she replied truthfully.

McGonagall looked at her knowingly and said, "I suppose it's best if we made our way to Dumbledore's office then."

The two left the room and walked quickly and silently down many long corridors.  Disa's head was full of questions, but she thought it was useless to ask them since McGonagall did not seem to know any more than she did.

McGonagall suddenly stopped in front of a large marble gargoyle and said firmly, "Canary Creams."

The gargoyle sprang to life and revealed a moving staircase that Disa guessed led to Dumbledore's office.  McGonagall and Disa traveled up it and McGonagall opened the door that was at the end of the passage.

Disa stepped inside a beautiful circular room that was full of interesting objects.  Old wizards and witches dozed peacefully inside picture frames; silver contraptions made amusing noises; a large scarlet and gold bird in the corner looked curiously at the two visitors that had appeared.

"If you are all right," McGonagall said to Disa, "Then I should join Professors Snape and Dumbledore for a moment."

Disa nodded and called before McGonagall left, "I still feel sorry about the Hat.  I never thought something this unusual would happen.  This is somewhat a mystery, isn't it?" Disa wondered aloud.

McGonagall looked at Disa with an unreadable expression on her face and replied, "Yes, it certainly is," and shut the door, leaving Disa alone with her thoughts.

*

Harry was just finishing his second helping of treacle tart when Ron turned to him and said, "I wonder what's taking Disa so long?  What did Snape and McGonagall want with her?"

Harry shrugged and said, "Snape probably wants to give her a detention just because that old hat happened to finally fall apart when Disa tried it on.  I'm glad I'm not her right now."

Ron shuddered and agreed.  "It's not a good idea to get on Snape's bad side on the first night.  That should take at least a couple of days.  But since she's in Gryffindor, that is a mark against her in Snape's book."

Hermione turned and looked at Ron at his comment.  "Gryffindor?" she asked.  "How do you know?"

"Well, I know the Sorting Hat's announcement was a little muddled, probably due to its untimely, er, demise," Ron began, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.  "But once I thought about it, it sounded like it said 'Gryffindor'."

Harry realized this was true, but he could not quite place the other sound he heard the hat emit before it ripped in two.

Hermione gave Ron a withering look and said, "If you were listening, the hat said something else, too.  I thought it said 'Gryffindor' _and_ 'Slytherin' at the same time."

Both Harry and Ron stared at Hermione with surprised looks on their faces.

"_Slytherin_?  She doesn't seem like one of Malfoy's cronies!" Ron exclaimed to Hermione.

"Right," agreed Harry.  "Anyway, how can that be possible?  A person who belongs in Slytherin _and_ Gryffindor?"  His voice trailed off a little as his phrase reminded him of his own Sorting, where the Hat was about to put him in Slytherin, but, at Harry's request, placed him in Gryffindor.  Could a similar situation have happened to Disa?  Sensing Hermione and Ron's curious eyes on him, Harry quickly regained composure and joked, forcing a strained laugh, "I mean, its more likely Snape would call me his favorite student and give me a hundred points than have a person be a Gryffindor and a Slytherin!"

"I know, but..." Hermione started.  Her gaze turned to the entrance doors.  "And speaking of Snape..." she whispered, pointing to the doors.

Sure enough, the greasy, hook-nosed Potions master had appeared in the Great Hall and was walking quickly toward the Head Table.  Harry, Hermione, and Ron watched as Snape went to Dumbledore's side and, since they were sitting near the teachers, they could hear Snape say, "_She's here_."

The group could see Dumbledore's bushy eyebrows rise in surprise and they heard him ask, "Are you sure?"

Snape nodded grimly.  Dumbledore excused himself and followed Snape out of the Hall quickly.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron turned back to each other.

Ron spoke what was on everyone's mind.  "_Who_ is here?"

Even Hermione did not have an answer to that question.

**Author's note: ** Thanks for reading! Review if you'd like.  I'd appreciate it.


	3. Dungeons Deep and Troubled Sleep

**Disclaimer:**  All canon characters and places are attributed to J.K. Rowling.  The quote in Dumbledore's office is from John Milton's _Paradise Lost_ Book I, Line 261.  The Slytherin password is from Shakespeare's _Hamlet_ and Draco's wise man's quote is from an old school date book of mine.  If anyone knows who the quote is attributed to, please let me know.

Chapter 3  Dungeons Deep and Troubled Sleep

Disa walked around Dumbledore's office, carefully looking at all of his interesting bits and pieces.  By one window, a table held what had looked like a transparent globe from a distance.  However, upon closer inspection, it actually was a miniature representation of the entire galaxy.  It mesmerized Disa for a few minutes, but she then proceeded to search for other extraordinary objects.  Her eyes fell upon Dumbledore's desk, where she saw a multicolored box.  Picking it up, Disa realized what it really was.  It was not some magical instrument with amazing powers.  In fact, Disa was slightly disappointed with her discovery.

"A Rubik's cube?" she said aloud.

"Yes, and let me tell you, no magical powers in the world can help one to solve that puzzle," a voice said.

Turning around quickly, Disa saw that Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape had entered the room silently.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore," Disa said, putting the cube back down.  "I shouldn't have been looking at your things."

Dumbledore smiled and said, "No need to worry.  My puzzle is not a dangerous thing to handle.  Unless, of course, you count the possibility of going insane from trying to finish it.  I bought it in a Muggle toy store three years ago, and it isn't any closer to being done now then it was then."  Dumbledore shook his head and muttered, "And they say Muggles have no real intelligence.  I'd like them to see this cube."

Snape cleared his throat impatiently.

Dumbledore looked up.  "Oh, yes," he said. "Back to business.  You had a very interesting Sorting, Ms. Volyn."

Disa lowered her eyes and nodded sheepishly.

"No need to be ashamed.  We always need a little variety," Dumbledore smiled.  Disa looked back up at him.  "Do you know what House you are in, Ms. Volyn?"

Disa shook her head again.

Dumbledore sighed and said, "Well, neither do we.  In fact, I believe that you are in two Houses."

Disa stared at him, her mouth hanging slightly open.  She noticed out of the corner of her eye that both Professors Snape and McGonagall looked very uncomfortable.

"Two Houses?" Disa croaked.

"Hmmm, yes, it appears to be that way," Dumbledore said, crossing the room and sitting down at his desk.  "The question is, not why you are in two, but what to do about it."

Disa looked at him quizzically.  Dumbledore noticed this and said, "Oh, I suppose you_ do _want to know why you are in two Houses_._  My best guess is that you were equally qualified for both, and since the Hat puts you in the best suited one, in this instance, it could not do so.  But of course, we will never know for sure."  Dumbledore folded his hands on top of his desk and looked at Disa.  "But what should we do with you?"

Disa was silent for a moment, and then said, "I don't know, sir."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful and said, "I know you have only been here for a little while, Ms. Volyn, but have you met anyone from either Slytherin or Gryffindor?"

"Yes, I have," Disa said.  "I met Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger from Gryffindor."  She paused, then said, "And Draco Malfoy from Slytherin."

Out of the corner of her eye, Disa saw Snape move suddenly.  When she looked at him, he was looking back at her with an odd expression upon his face.

Dumbledore did not seem to notice this.  "Well," he said, "I suppose what we should do is..."

"Let her decide where she wants to be," Snape said abruptly.

Dumbledore and McGonagall looked at him.  "Why do you say that, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.

Looking agitated, Snape began, "I think it should be up to Ms. Volyn to..."

"But we can't go against what the Sorting Hat said, Severus," McGonagall said.

Dumbledore nodded.  "Professor McGonagall is right.  Moreover, I do not think Ms. Volyn could decide where to go just yet.  She has not had any experiences at Hogwarts.  Could you decide, Ms. Volyn?" Dumbledore asked Disa.

"I think I would decide to be in Gryffindor, Professor, if I could choose," Disa said honestly.  "I would be with my friends then."

Dumbledore considered this, then sighed.  "While I do not want to purposefully separate you from your friends, Ms. Volyn, I do not think I can overrule the Hat's decision solely for that reason.  As I was going to say, I think you should try _both_ Houses, each for an equal amount of time.  Then, at the end of the school term, I think you will have had enough experiences in each to make an educated decision on where you want to spend your remaining years at Hogwarts."

Everyone in the room stared mutely at this statement.

Noticing this, Dumbledore said, "Well, _I_ thought it was a good idea."

McGonagall cleared her throat.  "While I would like to see Ms. Volyn in my House for the entire school year, I see your point, Headmaster.  Both Gryffindor and Slytherin offer many opportunities for their students to develop different attributes.  Nevertheless, I fear it shall be difficult for Ms. Volyn to interact with all of the members of her... Houses, especially when she will not be spending time with some of them half of the year.  The sense of community the Houses pride themselves on cannot be reached in that manner."

"You are absolutely right, Minerva," Dumbledore said.  "And, I think I have a solution to this dilemma.  Ms. Volyn would live in one of the Houses' dormitories for half of the year and spend mealtimes with the opposite House during that time.  Then, the Houses will switch!"

Disa felt confused.  While she wanted to be with her friends in Gryffindor, there was a nagging voice in the back of her head urging her to go to Slytherin.  Although she had no desire to speak to Draco Malfoy again, she could not help but wonder what a Slytherin life had in store for her.

Finally, Disa spoke.  "I think I could handle that Professor, if that's all right with you and Professors Snape and McGonagall.  I don't want to go against the Hat, especially after I tore it apart."

Dumbledore looked at her in an unexpected way.  "You're accepting this without any resistance?  You _want_ to be a Slytherin and a Gryffindor?"  

Thrown off by his unusual look on his face, Disa stammered, "Well, yes.  I...I feel as though I _have_ to be in both."  Disa realized what she had just said.  "Well, that doesn't make any sense whatsoever," she murmured to herself.

Dumbledore got up from his desk and walked over to Disa.  "No, my dear," he said, looking at her very directly.  "It makes perfect sense."  He then looked at Snape, whose appearance had become more agitated in the last few minutes.

By that time, Disa had given up any hope that she would be able to make any sense of what was going on, so she let the look Dumbledore gave Snape slide.  She would question it some other time.

"I suppose the only thing we have to do now is decide where you will be spending the night," Dumbledore said.  He turned around and arranged something on his desk.  When he turned back, he held a small, black pointed hat in his hands, upside down.

Disa was wondering whether she was supposed to put it on like the Sorting Hat, or do something else, when Dumbledore said, "Please take out your wand, wave it once over the hat, and say '_Desumo__!_ '"

Curious, Disa nevertheless did so.  As she removed her wand from her robes for the second time that night, she saw Dumbledore and Snape exchange another glance.  Pretending she did not notice, Disa waved her wand once, as instructed, and said, "_Desumo__!_"

Immediately, a piece of parchment flew up into the air and landed in Dumbledore's hand.  Putting the hat onto his desk, Dumbledore said, "I put two pieces of parchment in the hat, and the one you have just drawn, perfectly, I might add, is the name of the House you will be spending your time in until the end of January.  Whichever name you did not choose is who you shall be eating with tomorrow morning, as the Welcoming Feast is almost over."  He opened the folded parchment, glanced at it, and then looked back at Disa.

"Slytherin," he read.  Disa felt her stomach twist in an odd way.  She was not disappointed, but she honestly did not know how to feel.  She glanced at Snape, who looked back at her with an almost nervous look on his face.  Disa looked back at Dumbledore, who said, "Slytherin.  A most admirable House.  I'm sure you will be able to fuel your ambition there."      

Disa felt dizzy.  The feeling was similar to the one she had experienced on the train.  A familiar voice murmured in her mind.

_"…And in my choice to reign is worth ambition, though in Hell; Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven."_

_A woman spat, "And to Hell you shall go."_

Disa shook her head.  "I'm sure I will," she croaked. 

Dumbledore looked at her as though he was sizing her up.  He then took a pocket watch from his robes and glanced at it.  "A quarter to ten.  The students should be in their respective Houses by now.  I suggest Ms. Volyn go to hers and introduce herself to her new Housemates.  All of the details of this situation will be worked out by tomorrow morning.  I bid you goodnight, Ms. Volyn," he said with a slight bow of his head.

Disa nodded back to him and looked at Snape.  He was gazing at Dumbledore with a look of doubt on his face.  However, he soon realized that Disa was waiting for him, and he quickly beckoned to her.  As Disa followed Snape out of the room, she could hear McGonagall say, "Albus, what can be going on?"

Snape and Disa's footsteps echoed eerily down the deserted corridor.  When they had reached the Entrance Hall, Disa had a quick look into the Great Hall before she was led down a set of stairs under the main staircase.  There were a few lights left, but for the most part, the Hall was dark, and the sight left Disa with an empty feeling inside.

Disa walked quickly to catch up with Snape.  Obviously, they were in the dungeons now, and Disa felt the sharp change in temperature as she walked down the dark corridor.  She could hear a steady _drip, drip_ of water trickling down some distant wall.  Real homey, this is, she thought.

Suddenly, Snape stopped in front of a bare stretch of wall and turned to Disa.  He had not said anything since they had left Dumbledore's office, but he spoke now.

"When you enter the common room, the girls' dormitories are on your right.  Fifth year girls are the farthest ones down the hall.  Your things will be waiting by your bed.  The password is 'hawk and a handsaw,'" he said, hardly looking at Disa.

"Er, thank you, Professor Snape," Disa said, as she watched a section of the wall slide over to reveal a passage way lit with torched glowing a pale green.  She sensed that Snape was about to turn away and leave her.  She quickly said, "Do you not want me in your House, Professor?"  That question had been plaguing Disa's mind since the scene in Dumbledore's office.  She has the distinct feeling that she was unwanted by the Head of Slytherin House.

Snape stopped where he was.  He slowly turned around and looked at Disa straight in the face.  His black eyes were unreadable.  "I apologize if I have given you that impression, Miss Volyn, but the truth is..." He trailed off.  Sighing, he took a step closer to Disa and said, "The truth is, I'm not sure if you belong here.  If you _should_ belong here."

Stunned, Disa stammered, "Well, that's what I'm trying to figure out, isn't it?"

Looking at her more steadily, Snape said, "Miss Volyn, listen to me.  There are some members of Slytherin whom interactions with will not be beneficial to you, or to anyone else.  While I do not wish to speak ill of my students, and of my House, I do not think Slytherin will provide you with opportunities you need to become the one..."  He stopped.  "To become... whatever you desire to be," he said composedly.  He lowered his eyes.  "Just a word of advice, Ms. Volyn.  Do not conform to Slytherin ways.  If you have any true Slytherin in you, as the Hat seemed to think, then you will mold Slytherin to you and your needs.  I urge you to do so."  He glanced at her quickly, then said, "Good night," and walked away.

Disa stood in front of the entrance to the Slytherin common room, bewildered, for a moment.  She had been experiencing odd situations all night, and this one was no exception.  Shrugging to herself, she stepped into the passageway and walked quickly down it.  Within a few moments, she entered the common room.  It was modeled after the rest of the dungeons, complete with stone walls and floor and the now familiar green torches.  High backed emerald chairs were scattered throughout the long room, as were tables and a few ottomans.  An empty bulletin board was hanging by the passageway into the hall, and tapestries were hung on the walls.  Many depicted snakes, coiling menacingly around various objects, but there were some with large dragons and manticores embroidered on them, and a select few showed scenes of ferocious looking creatures terrorizing villagers in ways Disa never could have imagined.

At first, Disa thought the common room was empty, but there were two boys playing chess in a corner.  They regarded Disa with a quick glance, but Disa could hear faint whisperings going on.  Ignoring them, Disa walked over to the large fireplace.  As she neared it, she noticed that the mantle was ornately decorated with intricate woodcarvings.  At one corner, a serpent's head stared out, its opened mouth almost hissing at Disa.  Touching it with her fingertips, Disa was surprised to feel how cold it was, despite the fact that it was over a roaring fire.  Disa saw that the body of the snake was entwined in a very delicate, wavy pattern, almost like a maze.  The line that was the body of the snake was uncertain to the onlooker.  Slowly, Disa traced the body with her fingers along the top of the fireplace.  Her hand slipped from the pattern only a few times before she reached the opposite end of the fireplace.  There, instead of finding the tail of the serpent, as she was expecting, an identical head was there, facing the other way.  Disa smiled to herself and turned to head to her dormitory.  However, when she turned around, she saw a sight that made her smile disappear.

Draco Malfoy looked up at her from his jade chair near the fireplace.  Disa heard herself gasp, and mentally kicked herself for doing so.  Smirking, Draco got up and walked directly to her.  He ended up as close as he was to Disa earlier on the train.  Disa could not step back any farther unless she deeply desired for her robes to catch on fire.  She could see that, even though Draco's mouth was smiling, his eyes certainly were not.  "Welcome to Slytherin," he said scornfully.  Disa just looked at him with narrowed blue eyes.  His smile disappeared and he turned abruptly, walking to a doorway on the left side of the room and entering it.

Disa closed her eyes.  This night was not going well.  When she opened her eyes again, she saw the two boys in the corner giving her disdainful looks.  She quickly crossed the room and went into the doorway opposite to the one Draco had entered.  She walked to the end of the corridor, as instructed, and was met with a wooden door with a plaque that read 'Fifth Years'.

Taking a deep breath, Disa knocked softly on the door.

"Enter," a muffled voice said.

Pushing gently on the door, Disa opened it as it emitted a tiny squeak.  Her eyes were met with a medium sized room, with five four-poster beds, each with dark green hangings.  Disa was also met with four pairs of cold and calculating eyes.

"Hi," she said sheepishly.

No one answered.

Uncomfortable, Disa looked around. There were a few tapestries on the walls, mostly of beautiful, longhaired blonde women, and one wall had a line of high windows that looked out upon a dark forest.  Even though the room was located in the dungeons, it was reasonably warm.  Nevertheless, Disa still felt chilled.

Disa turned to the girl who was sitting on her bed closest to her.  She was a rather pug faced girl, and she had her arms folded across her chest.  Disa extended her hand and said, "I'm Disa Volyn."

The girl did not move.  She stared at Disa.  Disa's hand slowly returned to her side.  The girl looked at it with some satisfaction.  "Pansy Parkinson," she said suddenly.  "Millicent Bulstrode, Agatha Safaras and Francesca Viscotti," she said, gesturing to the other girls in the room.  Disa smiled at them, but none of them returned the favor.  Pansy continued to stare at Disa.  "So, you're in Slytherin and Gryffindor," she said in such a way that Disa knew it was a statement, rather than a question.

"Uh, yes, that's true...How...how..." Disa stammered.

"How did I know?" Pansy asked.  "I have ears, you know.  I heard what the Hat said."  By now, Pansy's stare had evolved into a full-blown glare.  "Half and half, are you?  Well, we don't like Gryffindors, do we girls?" she said.  Disa saw the others shake their heads.  "So that means, for starters, there's half of you we don't like, Volyn.  You'll really have to work hard until we start to consider liking the other half of you," Pansy sneered.  If Disa had known a really awful hex, she would have performed it right then and there.  Unfortunately, she did not, so she resolved to concoct a most terrible revenge.  She returned Pansy's glare tenfold.

Pansy smirked, not unlike what Draco had done earlier.  She pointed to a bed by the far wall.  "That's yours.  Be careful of the window next to it.  It leaks.  A lot."  And with that, she shut her hangings.  Following her lead, the other girls did the same.  

Disa looked at the closed hangings for a moment, then turned and walked to her bed, mouthing obscenities all the way.  She threw herself down on the mattress and closed her curtains angrily.  She tried to get comfortable, but as she was moving around, she felt that one side of her bed was wet.  Opening the hanging closest to the wall, she saw a small window was behind it.  Touching the wall, Disa felt that it was damp, but not wet enough to have caused the moistness of her mattress.  She figured Pansy and the other girls must have helped with that situation.  The tiny window also looked out on the forest, and stars were just visible above the treetops.  Disa left her curtains open just enough to look out the window.  "Oh, Nana," she whispered.  "What is happening to me?"  She lay there for a long time before sleep overcame her.  Her dreams were filled with snakes and dragons, and Disa's cries for help from Harry.

*

Harry looked out of the window in the Gryffindor common room.  "What's happened to Disa, you suppose?" he said.

Ron was examining a tray of cookies on the table next to him, suspecting they were one of his brothers' creations.  Hermione was looking at the new Prefect's badge she had received earlier that evening with a dreamy look on her face.     

"Maybe Snape locked her in the dungeons," Ron said, poking a cookie with the tip of his wand.  A tiny puff of smoke appeared. 

"Dumbledore probably just wanted to talk to her, Harry," Hermione reassured him.  "If she's going to be in Gryffindor, I'm sure she'll be here soon."

"If?" Ron said.  "Like I said before, I cannot imagine Disa being a Slytherin." Shuddering, he said, "I hope, for her sake, she's not."

Hermione nodded and then yawned.  "I'm getting tired.  I think I'll head up to bed.  Disa will probably be coming in within the hour.  She can have the bed near me."  Gathering Crookshanks in her arms, she said goodnight and went to the girls' dormitory.

"She's right, Harry," Ron said.  "Disa will be here soon.  And she has the right idea about going to bed."  Ron also yawned and got up, giving the cookies one last withering look.  "You coming?" he asked.

"In a minute," Harry said, returning his gaze to the window.

Ron shrugged his shoulders and crossed the room.  When he was gone, Harry sighed aloud.  He was genuinely worried about Disa, and about himself.  Memories from his own Sorting kept invading his mind.  He questioned that if Disa was put in both Gryffindor and Slytherin, which it seemed as though she had, why wasn't he?  Unable to answer that, Harry trudged up the stairs to the fifth year boys' room.  Climbing into bed, he wondered what had really happened that night.  A sense of something bigger than just a mistake or fluke by the Hat settled itself on Harry.  Just before Harry dozed off, an image of Snape saying, "She's here," to Dumbledore flashed across his mind.  Still unable to figure out what he meant, Harry fell asleep with questions chasing each other around his mind.

*

Severus Snape paced around his office.  He had not felt as agitated as he did now since the end of the school year last term when he knew the Dark Lord had risen again.  In fact, he was more agitated _now._  He knew Dumbledore was beginning to believe him, after he explained most of what he had kept secret for many years.  But Snape himself could not fully believe it.  Not just yet.  In all honesty, what was happening was almost impossible to believe.  Myths, fairy tales, legends...these things simply do not come true.  Snape shook his head.  Unbelievably, one was.

He wondered if he was direct enough with the new girl, Disa Volyn.  She did not look too keen on going into the Slytherin common room.  Good, he thought.  Thinking of whom Disa would have to spend the night with, Snape smiled bitterly and knew that Pansy Parkinson would make sure that her night was horrible.  Even better.  Perhaps Pansy would be the one to force Disa out of Slytherin forever.  Pansy would never know what service she would have performed for the world...

But even with the thought of Pansy tormenting Disa to comfort him, Snape still worried.  Some nasty detail was stuck in his mind, telling him there was something that he missed.  Glancing at the clock on the mantle, Snape grabbed his wand and walked out of his office, despite the fact that it was one-thirty in the morning.

He walked up the steps leading from the dungeons and headed towards the library.  Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, darted from behind a suit of armor and stared at him with bright eyes.

"I hate that cat," Snape muttered under his breath.

Soon he reached the library, and unlocked the doors with a quick wave of his wand.  He knew exactly where to look for what he needed.

The Restricted Section.

Snape ran his hand over the bindings of many books until he found what he was looking for.  The title was in an ancient runic language that Snape could decipher.  It read, _"Dark Tales for the Future."_

He flipped through until he saw what he needed.  Dark eyes roving over the symbols, lips moving slightly as he read, Snape spent a half an hour in that dark corner of the library reading.  His eyes suddenly widened and he swore aloud.

Closing the book and putting it back, Snape sighed and whispered, "There's nothing I can do."  Seeing the page he had just read in his mind, Snape murmured,

_"Though Good may intervene,_

_            And try to prevent things that may mar,_

_Evil will always have an equal hold,_

_            On the True Leader of the Star."_

Snape shook his head.  "She has come...and she's in Slytherin.  Have mercy on us all."

*

Disa awoke late on Saturday morning.  For a moment, she stared curiously at the dark green hangings that surrounded her.  Vaguely, she wondered where she was.  Then the events of the previous night flooded over her as she mistakenly rolled onto the patch of dampness on her bed.  She groaned audibly.

Wary of opening the curtains, Disa nonetheless did so.  The girls' dormitory was empty.  The other Slytherins has apparently gone down to breakfast.  Eager to find Harry, Hermione and Ron, Disa quickly pulled on her jeans and a blue sweater.  Grabbing a small bag, Disa put in one of the new schoolbooks she got, entitled _Medicinal Magic and You_.  She figured that she could read it during breakfast if her friends were not there.  As she got to the door leading to the common room, Disa wondered whether she needed her wand or not.  Deciding against it, she hurried along the corridor and entered the common room.

If she was expecting any visible difference from the night before, Disa was sorely mistaken.  Even though she knew bright daylight was streaming outside, the common room looked as dark as ever.  The only difference was that there were far more Slytherins there than the previous night.  A few were playing a card game by the fire and many were talking in small groups.  However, as soon as Disa entered the room, a silence fell over it.  Everyone turned their eyes onto her and a few whispered comments to their neighbors.  Disa wished she could curse them right then and there, but instead she smiled quickly and made for the door.  As she reached the passageway that led to the dungeons, the secret doorway opened and Pansy Parkinson stepped through with a handful of Slytherins in tow.

Narrowing her eyes, Pansy smiled wickedly at Disa.  "After you," she sneered, bowing and gesturing to the hallway with her arms.  The girls behind her did the same.

Giving the group a withering look, Disa raised her head and marched right past them.  Before she could proceed into the hall, however, Draco Malfoy stepped into her path.

"Excuse me," Disa said coldly.  Her voice surprised her.  She had never sounded so hardened and mean in her life.

Perhaps it surprised Draco too, for he only glanced at her quickly and let her pass.  Disa swept out into the hall and did not look back.

Disa heard a large group of voices as she climbed the steps to the Entrance Hall.  Stomach growling, she quickened her pace and went into the Great Hall.  Bright light was streaming through the high windows and the enchanted ceiling.  Scanning the room, she spotted a pair of identical red heads at the far table.  Recognizing Fred and George Weasley, she hurried over to them.

Sliding in next to one of them, Disa said, "Hi boys!"

"Disa!" the twin next to her said.  "What happened to you?  Where did you go last night?  And do you know my name?"

Laughing, Disa said, "Well, honestly, I don't know what happened last night.  I went to go talk to Dumbledore in his office, and apparently, he doesn't know either.  And, I believe that you are George."  She playfully poked the boy in the arm.

"Blimey," he said, looking at his brother.  "She catches on quick, she does."

Smiling, Disa started to ladle some porridge into her bowl.

"Allow me," Fred said, trying to take the spoon away from Disa.

"No way," Disa said.  "I am never letting either one of you handle any of my food again."

The three of them burst out laughing as Harry, Hermione and Ron approached the table. 

"Disa!  What are you doing here?" Hermione said.

"Eating breakfast of course," Ron said, grabbing a muffin.  "What else?"

"When did you come in last night?  It must have been late; we didn't see you," Harry said, sitting next to Disa.

"I didn't see your things this morning, Disa," Hermione said, looking worried.  "I didn't even know you came in at all."

"I, er, didn't," Disa said sheepishly.

"What, did you sleep outside the common room portrait?  The Fat Lady must have been suspicious," George said.

"No, I slept in my dormitory," Disa said.  Hermione's mouth opened slightly and she raised her eyebrows.  Harry looked at her face confusedly, then comprehension dawned on his own.  He quickly turned to Disa, with an expression mixed with confusion, disbelief and pity showing.  The twins looked at each other and shrugged.  Ron was the only one who had not taken any notice.

"Oh, well, if you slept in your dormitory, Hermione must have been asleep when you came in and you just woke up before she did.  Funny she didn't see your stuff though...," he said, muffin in his mouth.  He soon noticed everyone looking at him.  "What?" he asked.

"Ron," Hermione said.  "Disa's in _Slytherin_."

Ron's jaw dropped and a piece of muffin fell out.  "Wha...what?"

"Well, sort of," Disa said as the twins looked at her with strange expressions on their faces.  "I am for the first half of the year, but I still get to eat with you.  Then, I'll switch Houses after Christmas."

"Slytherin?" Fred said.  "Disa...I...wow," he finished.

No one spoke for the next couple of minutes.  Disa ate her porridge feeling quite depressed.  The jolly atmosphere she had shared with Fred and George had disappeared.  Ron sat there, his mouth still slightly open, and Hermione kept shooting worried looks between Disa and Harry.  Harry said nothing.

"Well," George said, standing up.  "Best be off.  Probably should do the homework that was assigned last June.  See you all later.  Oh, and Harry," he said, turning.  "There's a meeting tonight in the common room about the team this year.  We'll meet at eight."  He smiled at the group and he and Fred walked off, deep in conversation.

"That went well," Disa said, burying her head in her arms.          

Hermione patted her hand gently.  "Everything's fine, Disa.  We still like you, even if you are a Slytherin."  Disa raised her head slightly and looked at her.  Hermione glanced at the boys and prompted, "Right?"

Ron blinked a few times.  "What?  Oh, yeah, sure," he said.  Hermione jabbed him with her elbow.  "Ow!  I mean, of course we do, Disa.  I was just surprised that you weren't _only_ in Gryffindor."

Disa smiled weakly at him.  She saw Hermione give Harry a stern look.

"Yeah, you're still our friend," Harry mumbled.  Ron looked at him curiously.  "I've got go," Harry said quickly, getting up from the table.

Disa watched him leave the Great Hall.  She turned back to Ron and Hermione.  "This is not my day," she sighed.

Ron looked lost for words.  Hermione, however, asked, "So, why _are_ you in two Houses, Disa?"

"No one seems to know," Disa said, and went on to tell them about what had happened in Dumbledore's office.  She also told them about Snape's strange behavior at the common room entrance.

"That's what I found the most odd about the entire evening," Disa said honestly.  "Why wouldn't he want me in his House?"

"Well, most everyone in Slytherin is a pure-blood.  They don't really like any Muggle born witches or wizards.  Did you have Muggle parents?" Ron said.

Disa shook her head.  "I'm a pure-blood, as far as I know."

Hermione furrowed her brow.  "The oddest thing about what Snape said to you was that it sounded like he was looking out for you.  To be brutally honest, Snape is not nice.  At all.  Especially to Gryffindors."  She pursed her lips, deep in thought.  "I would have thought that since you told him you were friends with us, that fact would have made him like you even less."

Disa groaned.  "All I wanted to do was learn how to turn my worst enemies into slugs!  I didn't ask for all this!"

Ron smiled.  He was about to say something when his smile faded and he looked past Disa's shoulder.  "There goes Harry."

Disa turned and caught a glimpse of a black haired boy walk quickly out of the Entrance Hall doors.

"I wonder what's up with him," Ron said.

Hermione shrugged.  "We should probably just leave him alone for a little while.  How about I show you the library, Disa?"

Disa nodded.  Ron, however, rolled his eyes.  "Hermione's answer to everything is to go to the library."

Getting up from the table, Hermione snapped, "Well, maybe in the library we can find out why you are such a prat all of the time!"

"I don't think there's a book big enough to hold all the reasons why," Ron said cheerfully as he followed Disa and Hermione out of the Great Hall.

*

The early morning air was crisp and cool as Harry walked towards the lake.  He roughly stuffed his hands into his pockets as his mind raced with millions of different thoughts.  _Slytherin__._  Harry had to admit that the fact that Disa was in Slytherin was not the real reason why he felt the way he did. Of course, he did not welcome the idea of befriending a Slytherin, but there is a first time for everything, he told himself.  The thing that kept on nagging him was _why_ Disa was placed there.  And why he wasn't.  

A brisk breeze lifted Harry's hair up at the roots.  If only he could talk to Sirius right now.  The last time they had spoken had been over three weeks before.  Harry wasn't sure what advice Sirius could offer, but any advice was better than none at this point.  But how could he tell his beloved godfather that he was almost put in Slytherin?  Disappointing Sirius was one of the worst things Harry could think of.  Unless you counted being put into Slytherin.

Harry sat down at the edge of the lake.  A tentacle from the giant squid waved lazily at him and Harry waved back.  He looked over his shoulder at the castle.  He was starting to feel a little guilty about leaving his friends so abruptly.  He resolved to apologize as soon as he returned.  Harry picked up a rock that was next to him and threw it into the lake.  It made quite a large splash as it hit the water, and, to Harry's surprise, it released a lot of the anxiety he had built up overnight.  He picked up another rock and threw it hard, thinking, _Stupid Sorting hat.  _He threw another.  _What does it know about where I belong?_  A rather large rock, or, rather, a small boulder, made a gigantic splash in the lake next.  _I'm__ a Gryffindor, not one of those slimy Slytherins…_

"What is this?" an unpleasantly familiar voice drawled.  "Item number fourteen in _The Gryffindor's Guide to Releasing Teenage Angst?  'To alleviate stress or general hatred against the world, throw sharp, pointy rocks at unsuspecting marine life.  Be sure to stay a safe distance away from the following: giant squids, giant octopi, jumping and flying  pirahnna fish with a vendetta against stupid Gryffindors with large rocks in their hands…' "_

"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry said, annoyed, without even turning around to look at the Slytherin boy.

Draco dropped himself next to Harry and smirked at him.  Since it was Saturday, Harry himself was wearing jeans and a scarlet Weasley sweater.  However, Draco did not find the weekend an excuse to dress even remotely slovenly.  His pressed black trousers and his elegant jade cashmere sweater made Draco look as though he stepped out of a Muggle fashion magazine.  "Are you ready for the Quidditch season this year, Potter?" Draco asked.

Harry looked at him suspiciously.  What was he trying to pull?  Draco was acting almost…_normal_.  "More than ready.  What about you, Malfoy?  You ready to play Quidditch?  Oh, right, I forgot.  Slytherins don't really play since they don't play fair.  They cheat."

Something sparkled in Draco's eyes.  "Well, Potter, a wise man once said, 'Eagles may soar, but weasels never get sucked into jet engines.'"

Harry snorted.  "Where did you get that one, Malfoy?  _The Slytherin's Guide to Witty Quips_?" he asked sarcastically.

"Actually, yes," Draco said quite seriously, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a small green book.  Embossed on the cover was the title _The Slytherin's Guide to Witty Quips_.

"Hrmph," Harry grunted.

"Sorry, I don't speak Troll," Draco said cheerfully, twirling a stick between his fingers.

Harry took a deep breath.  "Again, Malfoy, I ask you, what do you want?"

"Fame, fortune, a birthday cake full of scantily clad women.  You know, the usual," Draco drawled, stretching out and lying back on the grass.  "And a pillow.  A pillow would be nice right about now."

Harry got up hastily.  He had originally gone to the lake to think, but the presence of Draco Malfoy certainly did not allow him to think of anything but a few hexes with interesting results.  "Well, forgive me for not rushing to get you one, but I have more important things to do," he said, turning and walking towards the castle.

"Oh, Potter," Draco called.  Harry stopped but did not turn around.  "I've just remembered why I came to talk to you."  He got up off the ground and walked over to Harry, brushing himself off.  "Don't expect that Volyn girl to stay friends with you or your gang of misfits for very long.  She is in Slytherin, you know.  She'll soon realize the error of her ways," he smirked.

Angry, Harry said, "She's in Gryffindor, too."

"Ah, yes.  How unfortunate," Draco said.  "She soon will be cured of that ailment.  I'll see to that.  And the cure will be provided free of charge, so your friend Weasley won't have to sell anything to help pay for the bill.  Have a nice day, Potter," he said and walked off toward the castle.

Harry fumed silently for a few moments.  It looked as thought an apology for his friends would have to wait.  There were a few rocks near the lake with Malfoy's name on them just waiting to be hurled in.

*

"Disa.  _Disa__!"_

"Huh?  What?"

"What are you doing?" Ron asked quizzically, looking around as Disa herself was.

"Books," she whispered.  "Look at all the books!"

Ron raised one eyebrow at her.  "Er, well, we _are in a library, Disa, so I think books are a prerequisite for these kinds of places," he said._

Disa gave him a withering look.  "I know that, Ron.  I just have never seen so many books in one place."  This was very true.  There had to be tens of thousands of books on thousands of shelves, some tomes as big as coffee tables, others smaller than the palm of Disa's hand.  "It's almost like heaven," she murmured.

Ron took her by her elbow and led her over to a group of tables where she could see Hermione sitting.  "You sound like Hermione.  I am almost positive that heaven is filled with Chocolate Frogs and Sugar Quills, not the Hogwarts library."

"That's Ron for you.  Always thinking with his stomach," Hermione said, flipping through a huge volume entitled _Hogwarts, A History_.

"It's the only way to think," Ron said cheerily, but his expression soon changed from one of mirth to one of horror.  "Hermione, what are you _doing?"_

"Reading, Ron.  Obviously," she said, taking out a roll of parchment and writing something down with her quill.

"Are you taking _notes_?  Hermione, classes haven't even started yet!" Ron said, utterly horrified.  

"I'm just seeing if anything similar to what happened to Disa last night had ever happened before," said an annoyed Hermione.

"Oh, right.  Good thinking," Ron said, pulling up a chair and sitting down.  "Have you found anything yet?"

"Well," Hermione began, "in 1878, the Sorting Hat was placed on a first year student's head and after ten minutes, it still had not decided anything.  It turns out that a Muggle boy had accidentally gotten onto the Hogwarts Express and joined the rest of the first years.  His memory had to be modified, and new protective wards were placed on the Express and it stations."  She flipped a few pages forward, then said, "So, not really."

"Oh no!" Ron said in a mocking tone.  "Your precious book doesn't hold all the answers!  What are you going to do?"

"Ron, maybe if you actually read this book you would see all the vital information it holds…" Hermione began.

"If I read it, I would be dead before I even reached half way through!" he said.

"You just don't understand…" Hermione said and she and Ron were off and running with one of their arguments that Disa had learned to expect.

"I'm just going to have a look around," Disa told them, but they were too involved in their spat to notice her.

Smiling to herself, Disa began to explore the stacks of books that surrounded her.  She found a section devoted to dragons (many boys were eagerly reading these books), one all about beauty charms (a lot of second and third year girls were here), and one section seemed to be completely written by some wizard named Gilderoy Lockhart (no one was looking at these).  Soon, she found herself in front of a roped off section and saw the librarian, Madame Pince, guarding the entrance like a hawk.  She had a raven perched on her shoulder.  Both she and the raven glared at Disa.

"Do you have a note from a professor?" she inquired, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Uh, no," Disa stammered.  "I was just looking."

"Well, there's no use looking in the Restricted Section unless you have a note, so off with you," Madam Pince said, shooing Disa away with her hands.

"All right, all right!" Disa said, uncomfortable with the way the librarian was giving her wary looks.  Instead of looking at the shelves near the Restricted Section as she was planning to do, Disa walked over to the far corner of the library where, judging from the amount of dust on the shelves and the books themselves, not many people ventured there.  As Disa looked at the titles, she knew why no one ever came back here.  The books were _boring.  There were books describing all of the charms one could perform on a piece of broccoli, others about the evolution of the black pointy hat and one large book was entitled _Bore Your Friends and Enemies With This Book.__

Disa ran her fingers along the books' bindings, amused at how the dust floated off of them.  When she reached the end of the shelf, Disa heard a light _thump behind her.  Turning around, she saw a small hardcover blue book lying on the ground.  Assuming she had knocked it off the shelf, Disa bent down and picked it up.  The cover was slightly velvety to the touch and there were small silver symbols imprinted on it.  Disa flipped it over to look at the back, but nothing out of the ordinary was there.  Opening the cover, she noticed that other than the first page, which had the same strange symbols etched into the paper in a silvery ink, there were no words at all throughout the book._

"Strange," Disa murmured, leaning in to examine the symbols more closely.

"What are you doing here?" a voice sharply asked.

Quickly, Disa slammed the book shut and spun around, hiding the little blue book behind her back.  Her gaze was met by the piercing eyes of Madam Pince, who was holding a feather duster and looking suspiciously at Disa.

"Er, just looking," Disa stammered, wondering why she was hiding the book from the librarian.  It was almost as if she didn't want anyone to know about the nearly blank book.

Madam Pince narrowed her eyes.  She didn't seem to trust Disa to tell the truth, especially since she had been snooping around the Restricted Area.

"Well, I'm off!" Disa said as cheerfully as she could and hurried away from the librarian.  She could sense her piercing gaze upon her back.  Disa quickly put the book in her pocket, and turned a corner, looking for Ron and Hermione.

She found them as she had left then, bickering away over the open _Hogwarts, A History_.  She sat down next to Hermione and took out her discovery.  After a few minutes, Ron, who was quite pink in the face, noticed that Disa was looking at a book quite closely.

"Oh, no, not you, too!" he exclaimed, and Hermione turned to look at Disa.  "Hermione has already rubbed off on you!"

"I am going to let that one slide, Ronald Weasley," Hermione said slowly and evenly.  "What did you find, Disa?" she asked.

"I'm not quite sure," Disa admitted.  "I've been trying to find a pattern of some sort within these symbols, but I can't at all."

"Could I see?" Hermione asked.  Disa nodded and handed her the book.  After a few minutes, Hermione said, "I've never seen anything quite like this."  She flipped through the rest of the book.  "Why," she exclaimed, "the rest of the book is blank!"

Disa took the book back from her and said, "Yes, I know, I found that quite odd myself. Do you know if there is anyway to see if something was written in invisible ink, Hermione?"

"Well, a few years ago, I did have a Revealer, but I misplaced it last year.  But I have some across a simple spell that reveals hidden things on the page.  Just wave your wand over the page and say '_Exstego__,' " Hermione said._

"Oh, but I don't have my…" Disa began, glancing down into her bag.  To her surpise, her wand was sticking out near the top.  "Funny," Disa murmured.  "I thought I left this in my room."

Noticing that Ron and Hermione were looking at her curiously, Disa quickly grabbed her wand and performed the spell.  Not to her surprise, nothing appeared on the blank pages.  Shrugging, Disa closed the book and said, "Oh, well, no big deal."

Ron glanced at his watch, then exclaimed, "Oh, blimey, I've got to go!  I said I would meet Fred and George for some Quidditch practice."

"Are you on the Gryffindor team?" Disa asked.

"Not yet," Ron smiled.  "Tryouts are in a few weeks.  Our House needs a new Keeper, so hopefully that will be me."

"You'll do great, Ron," Hermione said.

Blushing slightly, Ron said, "Thanks, Hermione.  Well, see you two lasses later!"  He hurried out of the library.

"Well," Hermione said, "do you want to see where the Owlrey is?  I could show you where the kitchens are and introduce you to the house elves!"

"Sure," Disa said, a little wary of the excitement Hermione spoke with about the house elves.  "Sounds like fun."

"Great!  I just have to ask Madam Pince about something very quickly and I'll be all set," puffed Hermione, who was stuggling to get _Hogwarts, A History_ into her bag.

"I'll just meet you outside, then?" Disa called as Hermione walked over to the far side of the library.  Hermione waved at her, so Disa pushed everything into her bag, including the mysterious blue book, and walked out of the library doors.  

As Disa was waiting in the hallway for Hermione, she witnessed the harsh rules of the library go into effect.  Some poor young first year walked past the gryphons that guarded the library doors with a book in his hand.  Before he could step into the hallway, the marble animals sprang to life and blocked his path.  Terrified, the boy cringed as a piercing alarm went off somewhere and he jumped when Madam Pince suddenly appeared next to him out of nowhere.

"Did you forget to check that book out with me?" she screeched.  "You should know the rules!"

Madame Pince's raven swooped down and grabbed the book in its talons. The boy whimpered as his friends looked on and laughed.  Hermione walked past and shook her head.

"Never leave the library with a book that's not checked out, Disa," she warned.  "Those gryphons won't budge an inch, and you'll be on Madam Pince's bad side for your entire stay here if you don't."  She sighed and said, "Ready for the grand tour?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Disa replied, all the time thinking that she herself had walked straight past those gryphons with the small blue book in her bag without them ever blinking as much as a single eyelash.  Hermione didn't need to know that.  Did she?

*

Draco was sitting in the Slytherin common room, reading _The Slytherin's Guide to Witty Quips and writing in some of his own, when Pansy Parkinson flounced over and sat down on the couch quite close to him.  Draco, as he watched her do this, noted that Pansy was the only person he had ever seen who actually _flounced_.   It was a very strange sight, indeed._

"So, the other girls and I hexed some pieces of bubble gum to tangle themselves in the new girl's hair," Pansy said, a malicious smile on her face.  "Think of anything else we can curse, Draco?"

Draco looked at her, his face expressionless except for a faint glimmer in his grey eyes.  He closed his book slowly and said, "Bubble gum?  How simply sophomoric of you, Pansy.  Congratulations.  Did you think that one up by yourself, or did the genius Millicent Bulstrode have a revelation?"

Pansy was taken aback.  Ususally, Draco contributed innovative ideas to their conversations about tormenting Gryffindors, but for some unknown reason, he seemed to have lost his touch.  After all, Pansy thought, that Volyn girl is still a Gryffindor, no matter where she lives.  She should be treated as such.  Which evidently meant that she was to be attacked with flying devious pieces of chewing gum.

"You've been acting very strange ever since we came back from holiday," Pansy accused, trying to look Draco in the eyes.  He stubbornly refused to meet her gaze by inspecting his fingernails.  Her eyes widened as she asked, "Your father didn't bring you to see…"

"No," Draco said sharply, almost baring his teeth.  "He didn't."

Pansy shut her mouth quickly.  This subject was obviously not one to be discussed at this point.  She was still puzzled about the way Draco was acting, but couldn't quite place her finger on the reason why.  She decided to stop pressing for answers that she wasn't going to get.

"So, what do you think of the Volyn girl?" she asked, looking at Draco out of the corner of her eye.  "Is she a freak or what?"

Draco shrugged elegantly.  "I have no business with her.  She hasn't even crossed my mind since she got here," Draco lied, convinced that Pansy would believe him.  He had not given her a reason to disbelieve him.  The truth, however, was that Disa Volyn _had_ crossed Draco's mind.  She had, in fact, crossed it several times.  Usually, Draco never busied himself with the affairs of lesser life forms, but for some unknown reason, he was resolved to keep tabs on this new girl.  She obviously did not come from a family of power, so no political gain could be made from befriending the girl, thought Draco.  She did not seem to pose a threat, either, so their was no need to try to break her down.  The only reason Draco could think of as to why he should be friends with Disa was that he had a chance to take something away from Harry Potter.

Ever since the first day he had met Harry, he wanted to punish him for refusing to be friends with him.  Not that he wanted to be chummy with that smarmy git _now_.  He just did not deserve what he had.  And Draco, slowly but surely, intended to take all of that away.

"Well, I think she's a prat," Pansy said, crossing her arms in front of her.  "She shouldn't even be here at Hogwarts, let alone in Slytherin.  She's going to bring the whole House down with her Gryffindor tendencies.  All of that so-called 'bravery' and such."

Draco's left eyebrow rose slightly.  "Who needs bravery when you have Evil and Cunning Plans to Get What You Want, eh, Pansy?" he asked.

"Exactly my point, Draco," Pansy said vehemently, completely missing the subtle sarcasm that Draco injected in his question.  She got up off the couch.  "You know what's important in life," she said as she walked towards her dormitory.

Draco sat at the couch staring at the low fire that was burning slowly in the grate, thinking that while he may not know what was important in life, he knew what was important for his life at that moment.  And that was to make Potter miserable, preferably through Disa.

At that moment, Disa herself walked through the common room door.  She had owl feathers all over her clothes.  She glanced around the room and her eyes met Draco's.  She quickly looked away and headed towards her room.  Draco got up and stopped her before she could enter the hallway to her dormitory.

"Good afternoon, Volyn," he said, trying to sound pleasant.  Disa thought that Draco sounded as though he was going to be sick in a few moments, but when she saw him smile at her almost kindly, she realized that he was trying to be nice.  Which, she thought, probably _was_ making him sick to his stomach.

"Hi, Dra- Malfoy," she said, wary of his motives.

"How was breakfast?" he grinned.  

"Er, fine," Disa said, looking around her.  She placed her hand on her head, feeling her hair.  She had noticed some suspicious-looking pieces of chewing gum sitting on Pansy's desk that morning, and she did not put it past Draco to charm them to fly into her hair.  Her tresses were gum-free, however.

"Do you have plans this afternoon?" Draco inquired.  He delicately picked an owl feather off of her sweater and inspected it.  "I was going to ask if you wanted a tour of the Owlrey, but it appears that you have already been there."

Hastily, Disa brushed off her sweater.  Draco's behavior was surprising, to say the least, especially after the cold welcome he had given her the evening before.  "I actually have to meet with Professors McGonagall and Snape this afternoon to go over my schedule of classes for this term.  But thank you for the offer nevertheless," she said.  "That's where I'm going to go now, in fact.  I have to pick up a few things, first."

"Well, good luck, then," Draco said, surprising himself and Disa with his apparent kindness.  "See you later."

Disa looked oddly at him then waved as she made her way towards the dormitory.  Before she could enter the hallway, however, she bumped into Pansy.  Pansy looked between Disa and Draco and back again, a surprised look upon her face.  Disa's expression hardened as she slid past Pansy into the hallway.

Pansy turned to Draco, her mouth open as if she was going to say something.  Before she could speak, Draco said, "Well, I should get some flying practice in today.  I won't have much time once classes start.  See you later."  He quickly walked across the room to the boys' dormitories.  

Pansy looked after him, an unreadable expression on her face.  When Disa walked past her and out the door, however, Pansy's look of suspicion and hate was easy to see.

**Author's notes:**  Thanks for reading! Please review as it would be greatly appreciated.


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